SoCal Man Arrested for Allegedly Defrauding San Mateo County Resident via Ransomware
Above: Stock Image
A southern California man was recently arrested for allegedly defrauding a victim via Ransomware in San Mateo County.
In a press release, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office reported that a county resident had been the victim of a Ransomware fraud on Tuesday, March 12. The suspect reportedly contacted the victim first via e-mail, then phone calls, and ultimately gained remote control of the victim’s computer.
Authorities say the suspect, posing as a representative of an antivirus and cyber security software company, had told the victim they were entitled to a refund. The suspect then allegedly told the victim they had to pay a large sum of cash to “correct an error” in the refund amount, and arrived at the victim’s residence later that day to collect the money.
The next day, the victim contacted the Sheriff’s Office and reported that they’d been a victim of fraud.
Investigating deputies soon identified the suspect as Hongliang He, 38, of southern California. He was ultimately arrested and booked at the Maguire Correctional Facility on suspicion of obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Detectives reportedly believe that this incident was part of a larger international scam, and are working to identify other suspects and victims that may be connected to the case.
Anyone with information relevant to the case is encouraged to contact Detective Matthew West at mwest@smcgov.org or 650-363-4050. Those who prefer to remain anonymous have the option of contacting the Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 1-800-547-2700.
