Marin County, Calif. – Two suspects have been arrested for impersonating FBI agents in an elaborate elder fraud scheme that scammed senior citizens out of tens of thousands of dollars.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case on February 18, after an elderly resident reported falling victim to a scam. The suspects told the victim there was a fraud investigation involving their bank account and instructed them to withdraw their money and send it to a “safe federal account” using a courier.
The victim complied, handing over $25,000 in cash. The scammers later tried to convince the victim to purchase gold and deliver it via courier. Growing suspicious, the victim contacted a real FBI agent, who confirmed it was a scam and advised contacting local authorities.
The courier was described as an Asian male. After an investigation, Zian Hu, 38, of San Francisco, was arrested on May 8 at a Daly City residence. He faces charges of grand theft, elder abuse, and conspiracy and remains in the Marin County Jail on $1 million bail. Investigators believe Hu may be connected to a larger criminal network with access to illicit funds.
A second suspect, Balraj Singh, 24, of Torrance, was arrested on May 13 in San Rafael. Authorities say he was involved in a similar cash pickup scam and was caught attempting to collect $50,000 from another potential victim. Singh is charged with attempted grand theft, attempted elder abuse, and conspiracy. He was denied bail due to similar concerns regarding his ties to criminal enterprises.
At this time, authorities have not confirmed whether Hu and Singh were working together.
Officials are urging the public to be cautious and remember: law enforcement will never ask for cash or gold to be handed over through couriers. If you receive suspicious calls or messages, verify them independently and contact local law enforcement.
