Man arrested after senior citizen scammed out of $22K in North Carolina: authorities
By Marisa Sardonia
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RUTHERFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — A scam targeting an elderly man in western North Carolina led to the arrest of a Chinese national after the victim paid him $22,000 in cash, according to investigators.
In a press release Thursday, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report on Nov. 4 from a family member of an elderly gentleman who they said was targeted by a scammer.
According to the report, the victim received a phone call from a man claiming there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The caller threatened that the victim would be arrested unless he paid money for his bond in person, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the victim was instructed to meet the scammer at the Family Dollar in Greenhill, where he hand-delivered $22,000 in cash.
Detectives later identified the suspect as Dong Feng, who resides in Charlotte and possesses a New York driver’s license, the sheriff’s office said. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, he was located and arrested in Cabarrus County.
Feng is charged with extortion and obtaining property by false pretenses, and was issued a $175,000 secured bond. An ICE detainer – a request that asks a law enforcement agency to maintain custody of a person for up to 48 hours beyond when they would otherwise be released – was also placed on him.
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