Two California residents taken into custody after allegedly scamming an elderly Allegheny County woman
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Allegheny County Police have announced that two California residents have been charged in connection to a phone scam in our area.
On November 21, the county police's general investigation unit was alerted to a potential scam by the Crafton Borough Police. A 71-year-old woman had received a phone call that claimed to be from the Amazon Fraud Department and they told the woman her account had been linked to more than $300,000 in illegal purchases.
The scammers then told her she had to empty her bank account in order to "protect it." They told the woman they were federal law enforcement officials and convinced her to use the money from her bank account to buy gold coins.
Once she purchased the coins, they said they would provide her with a check to open a new bank account.
Just a day later, detectives along with the FBI worked with the woman to find the scammers.
They were able to take two people into custody - 34-year-old Shuai Jiao and 35-year-old Daxue Yang. They are now facing multiple charges including theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and financial exploitation of an older adult.
Both have been arraigned and are currently in the Allegheny County Jail.
The county police department are reminding people that during the holiday season, scams do increase and they have tips on what to be on the lookout for at this link.
