A Daly City man was arrested on allegations of scamming $25,000 from an elderly resident in Marin City.
The alleged fraudster called the victim, claimed to be an FBI agent and said the victim was being investigated for identity theft, said Deputy Stephanie Ware of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
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The caller persuaded the victim to withdraw the $25,000 in cash from a bank, Ware said. Then he said he would go to the victim’s home and pick up the money.
Investigators identified the suspect as Zian Hu, 38, and took him into custody Thursday at a residence in Daly City. He was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of theft from an elderly person, grand theft and conspiracy.
Hu’s bail amount was set initially at $50,000. Authorities increased it to $1 million because detectives suspect Hu is part of a criminal enterprise and has access to large amounts of stolen cash.
The Marin County District Attorney’s Office filed charged Hu with the felonies of elder theft and grand theft.
Hu was arraigned Monday in Marin County Superior Court. His attorney, Frank Kim, initially entered a not guilty plea for his client, but withdrew it pending a bail review hearing next Monday. Court proceedings were communicated to Hu through a Cantonese interpreter.
Kim, who appeared online during the arraignment, could not be reached for comment afterward.