Arrest made after resident scammed out of more than $200,000: authorities
By Marisa Sardonia
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MACON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A fraud investigation in Macon County has led to the arrest of a person from Taiwan after authorities said a victim was scammed out of more than $200,000.
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office received a report of fraud from a resident in mid-August, leading to an investigation, the agency said in a press release Thursday. The sheriff’s office also requested assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
Investigators determined that the victim was scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Authorities arrested 31-year-old Tsou Ming-Hsuan of Taiwan, who was in the U.S. on a visa.
Ming-Hsuan is charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense and felony conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense, and was issued a $500,000 secured bond. The sheriff’s office said Ming-Hsuan is considered a flight risk and has no established connection to Macon County or the United States.
Authorities said information gathered during the investigation indicates the case is connected to a multi-state criminal organization targeting senior citizens. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests are anticipated.
The sheriff’s office also reminded residents to be “extremely cautious” when providing any personal or financial information to unknown people. Any resident who believes that they or someone they know could be the target of a scam is asked to contact the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
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