NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – A 25-year-old man from California was arrested for exploitation and financial abuse of the elderly, according to the New Braunfels Police Department.
On March 6, NBPD was dispatched to the 1100 block of Lime Gruene Road after an elderly resident reported an online scam.
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NBPD said the resident had received an email detailing fraudulent activity on a cryptocurrency account.
To fix the problem, the email asked the resident for remote access to their computer and money.
An arrangement was made between the resident and a courier who would come pick up the cash, NBPD said.
The resident realized they were being scammed and contacted NBPD before the exchange.
The next day, NBPD caught and identified the courier as Chaopeng Huang of San Lorenzo, California.
Huang was arrested for exploitation of the elderly, financial abuse of the elderly, and possession of a controlled substance.
His bond was set at a combined $25,000.
NBPD urged the public to be vigilant of fraud and careful about giving out personal information online.
While scammers often target the elderly, anyone can be the victim of a scam, and criminals can pose as law enforcement, IRS agents, or other government roles.
Legitimate businesses and government organizations should have proper identification and should not ask for payment in cash, gift cards or temporary credit cards, NBPD said.
If you feel you may be the victim of a scam, NBPD can be contacted at (830) 221-4100.
More information on identifying and protecting yourself against scam attacks can be found here.
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