Weikai Zhang (Ocala Police Department).
According to an officer who apprehended Weikai Zhang for grand theft on July 9, the defendant was visibly trembling with fear. The officer remarked, “He’s shaking like a leaf right now. He is shaking like there’s no tomorrow.”
Zhang, 43, is charged with trying to hustle an elderly woman out of her life savings. A hearing is scheduled for March 27, records out of Marion County, Florida, show.
“The scammers, posing as a call center, convinced the victim that her computer had a virus and that they could help fix it,” cops wrote. “They gained control of her financial information and persuaded her to liquidate her life savings into gold, which was sold through a broker and shipped. Around 11:30 a.m., the shipping company delivered multiple boxes to the victim’s residence. Thankfully, HSI special agents and #OcalaPD also arrived at her residence and informed her about the scam. Later, the scammers contacted the victim to verify the arrival of the parcels and notified her that a courier was on the way to secure the gold.”
Cops said that law enforcement noticed a suspicious van in the area. It was registered to Zhang, who had a suspended license and expired tags, they said.
They detained Zhang, who had no local ties, who was on a live call and was using GPS to get to the woman’s home, they said.
“Reminder: Scammers are always finding new ways to trick people out of their money through phone calls, texts, and pop-ups on their devices,” they wrote. “These #scams aim to create panic and confusion to steal money. Be cautious of pop-ups that ask you to call a 1-800 number, as these often lead to overseas call centers where scammers try to steal personal or financial information. Always be careful when giving personal information over the phone and report any suspicious activity to the police right away. Don’t hesitate to hang up! Please inform your family and friends so they can protect themselves.”
Zhang is charged with grand theft of $100,000 or more, unlawful use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony, and driving with a suspended license. He was booked into jail on July 9 and released the next day.
