Suspected Scammer Arrested in Santa Rosa for Defrauding Senior Citizen of $43,000

The Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) Property Crimes Investigations Team (PCI) has reported the arrest of a suspect in a scheme that targeted a senior citizen. On July 1, a 74-year-old woman from Santa Rosa fell victim to a courier scam, with perpetrators making off with a staggering $43,000. The woman had received a misleading pop-up notification on her iPad, which prompted her to call a number leading to a man impersonating a security agent. According to the Santa Rosa Police, this agent gave her a false narrative of compromised bank accounts and directed her to withdraw the cash, which was then picked up at her home by a so-called "undercover agent."

Further duped into believing her bank account had been compromised again, the victim withdrew additional funds, following the scammer’s directions. It was later discovered she had also been coaxed into installing remote-access software on her device, likely providing the scammers with visibility into her financial dealings. A subsequent investigation by SRPD PCI included collaboration with the Vallejo Police Department and the Napa County Sheriff's Office. The police utilized home security camera footage and vehicle registration information to track down the culprits, according to the SRPD's social media post.

It was last Saturday when the break in the case came. Zhishen Zheng, a 30-year-old man from China, was caught in the act by the Vallejo Police Department during another courier scam attempt. Napa County authorities initially arrested Zheng before SRPD PCI detectives linked him to the Santa Rosa crime. The detectives confirmed Zheng was the individual who had collected the cash from their local victim.

Despite having posted bail in Napa County, Zheng was taken into custody by SRPD PCI detectives secured an arrest warrant with a bail set at $1,000,000. He now faces charges that include financial elder abuse, obtaining money by false pretenses, and grand theft, as per the booking at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.