HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Two New York men were arrested for allegedly stealing from a Habersham County resident.
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Ying Chen, 39, of Elmhurst, N.Y., and Jian Jun Zhan, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., face charges of theft by deception after allegedly stealing $40,000 from a Cornelia man and trying to take an additional $30,000, officials said.
Habersham County officials said the victim received a suspicious email claiming to be from PayPal, indicating that his account required attention due to a transaction of $399.99. The email provided a contact number, but the victim opted to search for a PayPal number online, leading him to an ’833′ telephone number, authorities said.
According to the sheriff’s office, a man named ‘Peter’ answered the call and asked the victim for his bank account details, login information, and passwords under the guise of resolving the issue. The victim was instructed to withdraw $40,000 and hand it to a man who would arrive at his home with a secret passcode.
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Deputies said on Friday, the victim complied, handing over the cash to a man who provided the correct passcode. Shortly after, he was contacted again and instructed to withdraw another $30,000.
The HCSO said concerned bank officials alerted a family member about the large cash withdrawal, prompting them to call 911.
Family members managed to track the suspect until deputies from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office arrived. The deputies stopped a grey Toyota Sienna van with New York plates, identifying Chen as the driver and Zhan as the passenger.
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Deputies said they seized four telephones, Zhan’s wallet with bank cards, $3,970 in cash, and impounded the van as evidence.
The pair was booked into the Habersham County Jail and was denied bond on Monday.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further information has been released.