A 76-year-old Allegheny County man was victimized by a scam operation that led to a loss of $130,000 before law enforcement could intervene. Zhudi Chen, identified by the FBI as part of the scheme, is now facing charges of theft and financial exploitation of an older adult. This announcement comes following Chen's arrest when he was caught attempting to collect a further $103,000 in gold from the victim at his Springdale Township home.
According to WPXI, the victim was originally contacted by scammers posing as investigators probing a fraud at PNC Bank. They convinced him that his brokerage account was compromised and needed liquidation to apprehend the supposed criminal. In response to this ploy, the elderly man reported to the authorities in late September, unknowingly setting the stage for an undercover operation that would eventually snag Chen.
Chen's deception was part of an elaborate ruse involving malware and manipulated banking transactions. As reported by CBS News, Chief Michael Naviglia explained how the scammers installed malware on the victim's computer and faked deposits to his accounts before instructing him to withdraw large sums of money in three separate transactions. The sting operation that ensued, leading to Chen's apprehension, was set up when he arrived to collect the additional gold demanded from the victim.
Identified as a 40-year-old from New York with no known ties to the victim or the Pittsburgh area, Chen reportedly told officers that he had illegally crossed the border and had been previously detained by Homeland Security Investigations. He is currently held in Allegheny County Jail as the case continues.
