Chinese Nationals Almost Succeed In $100K Scam Of Maine Man

An elderly Maine man nearly fell victim to 3 Chinese Nationals who tried to scam him out of $100,000.

Two of the Three Suspects Are in the US Illegally:

Three people were arrested in this case:

• Meng Chen, 50, from Staten Island, New York remains incarcerated pending a $100,000 bail.
• Wen Chen, 23, New York remains incarcerated pending $150,000 bail.
• Weijjie Yan, 21, New York remains incarcerated pending a $150,000 bail.

All three are charged with theft by deception. Chen is in the United States legally, however the other two are in the country illegally from China. Yan entered the United States on a student Visa but never went to school.

The Scheme Involved an Alleged Mistaken Bank Deposit of $10,000

The three people face charges connected to an elaborate scheme to scam an 82-year-old Alfred man out of $100,000. According to the York County Sheriff's Office, the victim was tricked into believing that he received a fraudulent payment in his bank account and was coaxed to repay the money with cash.

When the Scammers Came By For Their Money, They Were Met By Maine Deputies

An initial payment of $50,000 was given to the scammers. They then returned on Tuesday to collect the remaining funds but were met by Sheriff's Deputies instead and arrested.

All three of the suspects have limited English speaking capabilities and were arrested on Tuesday evening. This investigation is ongoing.

We'll update this story as more details become available.