Wolcott police have arrested a suspect after a Wolcott man was scammed out of $60,000, according to police. They said their investigation uncovered a romance scam and the suspect they arrested was in the United States from China on an expired student visa.
Wolcott police said the 28-year-old man who now lives in Flushing, New York is part of a scam that uses a fake BingX website that supposedly transfers cash into cryptocurrency to purchase gold.
Through their investigation, police determined that a woman had contacted the victim through a random text message and enticed him into an online relationship.
Then, she instructed him to invest in gold through the fraudulent BingX account, police said.
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The victim lost around $60,000 and contacted police to report it.
Wolcott police said they then set up what they called a “sting operation” and had the suspect go to the victim’s home under the guise of collecting more money.
When the suspect arrived, police arrested him.
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He has been charged with criminal attempt at larceny in the second degree, telephone fraud in the first degree and criminal impersonation.
Police said the suspect told them he is a Chinese immigrant and they have notified the United States Department of Homeland Security of the arrest.
Police said they then learned that the suspect was in the United States on an expired student visa.
He is being held at the Whalley Avenue Detention Center on bond, police said.
