(KRON) — An Oakland man allegedly involved in a cash courier scam was arrested Thursday after a sting operation set up by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
SCSO said it had received several reports in recent weeks of residents being targeted by the scam around the Windsor area.
“The caller told the victims their bank accounts were compromised and requested they withdraw cash to place into a safe place by the couriers pretending to work for the Federal Government,” said the sheriff’s office in a social media post.
SCSO said property crime detectives, along with Windsor police, took the suspect into custody when he arrived during the sting operation and took the bait of waiting packages.
Zhengning Chen was taken to the county jail with a bail enhancement of $250,000. The sheriff’s office did not say if Chen was suspected in other similar incidents.
“The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents that no Government agency or Bank would ever contact you and ask for personal identifying information or money,” said SCSO in a social media post. “This kind of crime has been on the rise for years and criminals continue to find new ways to exploit victims.”
