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The Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised this week about a scam involving a pair who had been collecting large amounts of cash from a Hagerstown woman, prompting an investigation that led to the arrests of Jinghai Fang and Binbin Ge.
In late March, investigators say that the woman received a notification on her tablet that one of her accounts had been hacked, so she called the supplied number and found herself in the middle of what was described as "a sophisticated scam designed to defraud her of thousands of dollars."
On Monday, April 1, and Tuesday, April 2, "following multiple calls and persuasion, the woman "was convinced to withdraw large amounts of currency that was later picked up by suspects impersonating federal law enforcement officers," officials said.
Following these exchanges, she realized she was being scammed and contacted the sheriff's office to report the crime, leading to an investigation and the downfall of the dubious duo.
According to the sheriff's office, on Wednesday, April 10, the pair attempted to arrange another exchange of cash, though investigators had other plans.
An operation was planned and executed over the course of several hours - with an assist from the would-be victim's bank - that resulted in Fang and Ge arriving at a Washington County home believing they were to collect $60,000 from the woman.
Not so fast.
Instead, the pair were met by members of the sheriff's office, who arrested them, impounded their vehicle, and shipped them off to the Washington County Detention Center to face charges for the operation.
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