LITHIA, Fla. — Authorities have arrested and charged a man accused of targeting an 81-year-old Lithia woman in an organized fraud scheme.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) announced detectives were alerted on Feb. 23 that the woman was being scammed.
According to HCSO, the scammers hacked her computer via malicious email and convinced the woman they mistakenly deposited $50,000 into her bank account.
She withdrew $24,000 from her bank and handed the money to an unidentified courier, detectives said. The woman then received a fraudulent receipt.
The next day, Feb. 24, the woman was told to provide $25,000 to a courier, as detectives worked with her to prepare money assets for the scheduled pickup.
Deputies arrested 40-year-old Min Chen of Canada, who they say picked up the money. Deputies said they also witnessed Chen removing the money from its packaging.
Chen faces charges of organized fraud, theft and unlawful use of two-way communications device.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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