Hongliang He, 38, of California, United States has been arrested. He is accused of obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiring with others to commit a crime.
Posing as the representative of an antivirus company, He allegedly contacted a man, 62, of San Mateo County, California by email and phone on March 12, 2024 and told him that he was entitled to a refund. The former told the latter he had to pay a large sum of cash to correct an error in the refund amount.
A few hours later, He allegedly arrived at the elderly man’s residence and collected the money. The latter later realized he was a victim of fraud via ransomware.
On March 13, 2024, the elderly man contacted the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and reported the crime. That day, deputies arrested He.
Based on the preliminary investigation, He appears to be part of a larger international scam. The he San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office warned the public, “Use caution and avoid sharing personal banking information with anyone who solicits that information from you online or over the phone, especially if you are asked to provide money.”
He was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City, San Mateo County. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is waiting for additional victims to come forward.
Anyone with further information about Hongliang He‘s alleged crimes is asked to contact San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office detective Matthew West at mwest@smcgov.org or 650-363-4050.
CONAN Daily 