CONCORD, N.H. — A New York man indicted in connection with a bank impersonation scam went to an elderly man’s home in New Hampshire to take cash from the victim, the attorney general said Monday.
Wenhua Zhuo, 48, of Flushing, New York, has been indicted by the Cheshire County Grand Jury on one class A felony count of attempted theft by deception for his role as a courier in a bank impersonation scam targeting an elderly man in Richmond, Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
Zhuo was previously arrested on the charge on July 16. He is scheduled to be arraigned on this indictment at the Cheshire County Superior Court on Nov. 7.
An investigation found that a person purporting to be from the Fraud Department of a local bank called the 77-year-old victim, and informed him that his bank account had been compromised.
The caller told the victim that he needed to withdraw $20,000 in cash from his account and give it to a courier who would come to his home and pick it up.
The indictment alleges that Zhuo, “acting with a purpose that the crime of theft by deception be committed,” traveled to the victim’s home in Richmond, and walked onto his property, Formella said.
Zhuo allegedly then approached the victim, who was holding a package that purportedly contained more than $1,500 in cash belonging to the victim, which, under circumstances as “Zhuo believed them to be, constituted a substantial step toward the commission of the crime,” Formella said.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, contact your local police department or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at 1-800-949-0470.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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