Felony charges have been filed against a Rosemead man for his role in an alleged elder fraud scheme targeting a Thousand Oaks woman who was scammed out of $14,000.
Yongan Ma, 44, is charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft, conspiracy to commit elder fraud and grand theft from an elder or dependent.
The scheme started on April 2, when an elderly Ventura County woman was deleting spam emails on her home computer, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
The victim clicked on a link that immediately caused a message to appear, which instructed her not to shut off her computer and to immediately call a phone number displayed on the screen, according to the complaint.
She called the number and spoke to an unidentified person who claimed her computer was infected with malware and was then transferred her to someone posing as an officer with the Federal Trade Commission.
The caller falsely told the victim she was a suspect in a money laundering investigation, and she needed to immediately withdraw money from her bank accounts and provide receipts to prove the funds belonged to her.
She was also told the U.S. Treasury Department was involved and would freeze her bank accounts if she did not comply with instructions.
The scammer instructed the victim to visit multiple banks and withdraw $15,000 in cash, according to the complaint.
During the drive, while remaining on the phone with the victim, the scammer allegedly claimed “two people were watching her home.”
The victim ultimately withdrew a total of $14,000 in cash and returned home, where she was told to wait for someone named “Lisa” to arrive, who would provide a password before the victim hands over the cash, prosecutors say.
At approximately 3 p.m. on April 2, the victim reportedly met with the unidentified woman at her home and gave her the cash.
The next day, the victim realized she had been scammed and reported the incident to a family member, who called law enforcement.
Detectives determined that Ma allegedly drove an unidentified female courier to the victim’s home and, according to the investigation, dropped her off. She then provided the victim with the password and collected the $14,000 in cash.
Ma is accused of knowingly driving the courier to the victim’s home to carry out the fraud and personally benefiting from his role in the scheme.
Ma was arrested by Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives on July 22 in Pasadena.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance on July 24 and was released on his own recognizance.
Anyone who believes they or a loved one has been the victim of a similar scam is encouraged to contact District Attorney Investigator Eric Jensen at (805) 662-1750
The District Attorney’s Office warns residents, especially seniors, to be aware of these common scam warning signs:
- Urgency: “You must act right now!”
- Secrecy: “Don’t tell anyone!”
- Fear: Threats that you will be arrested, sued, or lose your money if you do not comply.
- Unusual payment methods: Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, gold, wire transfers, or cash pickups.
- Isolation: Instructions not to contact your bank, family members, or law enforcement.
