BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. - Dongsheng Chen, a United States permanent resident from China with a California address, was arrested Wednesday by the Washington County Virginia Sheriff's Office in connection with a fraudulent scheme.
The suspect was implicated in a scam that involved impersonating U.S. Treasury and U.S. Marshals Service officials, falsely claiming issues with the victim's Social Security. This deception led the victim to withdraw and hand over thousands of dollars in cash to the suspect over several days. Following an investigation, Chen was apprehended during a second attempt to execute the fraud, according to a written statement.
Dongsheng Chen, 30, of San Leandro, California, was charged with obtaining money under false pretense, attempted obtaining money under false pretense and conspiring to commit obtaining under false pretense.
Dongsheng Chen was arrested without incident and is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail.
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"As your sheriff, I want to make the public aware that we are seeing a significant increase in scam-related activities in our area. Unfortunately, many of these scams result in victims losing tens of thousands of dollars," Sheriff Blake Andis said in the statement.
"Scammers are posing as both federal and local employees and using various schemes to steal money. Some of the most common scams involve threats regarding jury duty, Social Security issues, romance scams based on your computer history, inheritance taxes, debt collection, fines for missed court appearances and impersonations of government officials.
"I strongly urge all citizens to never send money through money transfers, Bitcoin transactions, wire transfers, mobile payments, gift cards, or money orders to anyone claiming to be an officer or agent asking for payment. If you suspect you are a victim of a scam or have any concerns or questions, please contact my office or your local law enforcement immediately. We are here to help and protect you," Andis said.
The Sheriff's Office worked with the Washington County, Virginia Commonwealth Attorney's Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and other state agencies in this investigation.
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