Waitress Held in Custody in Lieu of $2.5 million Bond for Online Fraud
Photo(s) courtesy of MCSO
By Jim Emerson
SAN RAFAEL — A waitress is being held in custody at Marin County Jail in lieu of $2.5 million
bond. Qingyun Chen, 30, of San Leandro, allegedly participated in an online scam defrauding
victims throughout the San Francisco Bay area.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation with help from the Northern
California Computer Crimes Task Force. Victims online were fraudulently told their computers
were infected with a virus. They were tricked into contacting a criminal syndicate and
convinced to withdraw cash from bank accounts for couriers to collect.
In a prepared statement the sheriff’s office said an investigation was launched in September.
Chen is suspected of being involved in multiple financial scams in recent months. “This type
of scheme has become increasingly common in recent years.”
Digital forensic evidence implicates Chen as a suspect. Warrants were obtained to search two
residences in San Leandro. Chen was found at one of the residence’s on Figueroa Drive in
San Leandro. Investigators recovered substantial evidence including a large quantity of cash.
The Marin sheriff’s office arrested Chen on November 13 at 9:30 a.m., with help from the
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. She was booked on open charges for grand theft, and
caretaker theft of an elderly victim. “Due to the significant amount of funds that Chen is
believed to be responsible for defrauding victims, her bail was set at $2.5 million,” officials said.
