MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – An 82-year-old Marion County woman narrowly avoided losing tens of thousands of dollars in a sophisticated scam that ended with the arrest of Jiaan Cao on December 12, 2024.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) says that Cao, who traveled from California to carry out the scheme, now faces fraud charges and is being held in the Marion County Jail without bond.
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MCSO says that the scam began when the victim’s computer emitted a loud alarm and displayed pop-up windows, including one listing a phone number for a purported “Windows technician.” Believing her computer was compromised, they say that the victim called the number, allowing the scammers to initiate their plan.
Shortly after, MCSO shares that another scammer posing as a Truist Bank manager contacted the victim, claiming her accounts had been hacked and were being used for illegal activities, including opening fraudulent accounts for criminal purchases. Convinced by the scammers’ narrative, they say that the victim followed their instructions and sent $7,300 via a cryptocurrency ATM.
The scam escalated when the victim was instructed to purchase $160,000 in gold, allegedly to safeguard it with a “Federal Agent.” MCSO says that the victim then visited a gold dealer in Jacksonville, where staff grew suspicious and contacted law enforcement.
MCSO detectives set up a sting operation. When Cao arrived to collect the gold, he was met by deputies and taken into custody. Investigators determined that Cao had traveled from California to play the role of the fake agent.