Judge denies bond for New York men in $40K Habersham scam
(Habersham County Sheriff’s Office)
CORNELIA, Ga. - A judge has denied bond for two New York men accused of scamming a Habersham County resident out of tens of thousands of dollars.
What we know:
Ying Chen, 39, of Elmhurst, and Jian Jun Zhan, 34, of Brooklyn, were arrested Friday and charged with theft by deception, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators said the pair stole $40,000 from a Cornelia man before attempting to collect another $30,000.
The scheme began when the victim received a suspicious email that appeared to be from PayPal, claiming his account had been frozen over a $399.99 charge. Instead of calling the number listed in the email, the victim searched for a PayPal number online and dialed an 833 number. A man identifying himself as "Peter" then asked for personal bank account information and passwords.
On Sept. 26, the victim was told someone would arrive at his home with a secret pass code and that he should hand over $40,000 in cash once the code was given. The victim complied when a man showed up around 2 p.m. and left with the money. Shortly afterward, the victim received another call instructing him to withdraw $30,000 more.
The large cash withdrawal triggered a bank alert to a family member, who quickly called 911. Family members then spotted the suspects in the area and kept watch until deputies arrived.
Deputies pulled over a grey Toyota Sienna with New York plates, identifying Chen as the driver and Zhan as the passenger. A Baldwin police officer assisted in the stop. Authorities seized four cellphones, Zhan’s wallet with bank cards, $3,970 in cash, and the van, which was impounded.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not said whether the suspects were connected to larger fraud operations targeting victims in Georgia or elsewhere.
It is also unclear if additional arrests are expected, how the men traveled to Habersham County, or whether investigators believe they had other intended victims in the area.
Investigators have not released details about how the victim’s information may have been compromised or whether the seized cash and phones will provide further leads.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details have been released.
The Source: The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office provided the details for this article.