Pittsburgh, PA- Allegheny County Police have charged two California residents in relation to a phone scam targeting an elderly individual in Pennsylvania. The initial investigation began on November 21 when Crafton Borough Police sought assistance from the Allegheny County Police Department’s General Investigations Unit. They uncovered that a 71-year-old woman had been contacted by scammers claiming to represent the “Amazon Fraud Department.”
The scam callers informed the woman that her account was associated with over $360,000 in unauthorized purchases. They instructed her to empty her bank account for “protection.” Using the guise of law enforcement officials, the scammers convinced the victim to convert her bank holdings into gold coins, under the promise of receiving a check for a new account later.
On Wednesday, in a coordinated effort with the FBI and the victim, detectives executed an operation that resulted in the apprehension of two suspects. The detainees, noted as Shuai Jiao, 34, and Daxue Yang, 35, hail from California.
The accused faces numerous charges, including theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and financial exploitation of an older adult. Subsequently, both were arraigned and charged.