Federal agency warns of gold bar scam in Lancaster County
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a nationwide consumer alert following a scam in Lancaster County involving fake Federal Reserve agents and gold bars.Earlier this week, a man was arrested in Lancaster County, accused of stealing more than half a million dollars’ worth of gold bars.Zhong Ren, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, is being held in the Lancaster County Prison.Police believe he could be part of an international criminal organization.Court documents show that a woman who lived on Linda Drive in Ephrata had been told her computer was hacked.The scammers posed as agents of the Federal Reserve and told her that to protect her money and bank accounts accessed through the computer, she should purchase gold bars.They claimed an agent of the Federal Reserve would collect the bars for safekeeping.Investigators say they used cellphone data to identify Zhong Ren as the person who showed up to collect those gold bars back in April.The Federal Trade Commission has issued a nationwide consumer alert as this scam continues to appear across the country.”Being told to ‘move your money to protect it’ is always a scam,” said the commission. “Nobody legitimate will tell you to protect your money by transferring or withdrawing it from your bank or investment accounts, but scammers will.”
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a nationwide consumer alert following a scam in Lancaster County involving fake Federal Reserve agents and gold bars.
Earlier this week, a man was arrested in Lancaster County, accused of stealing more than half a million dollars’ worth of gold bars.
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Zhong Ren, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, is being held in the Lancaster County Prison.
Police believe he could be part of an international criminal organization.
Court documents show that a woman who lived on Linda Drive in Ephrata had been told her computer was hacked.
The scammers posed as agents of the Federal Reserve and told her that to protect her money and bank accounts accessed through the computer, she should purchase gold bars.
They claimed an agent of the Federal Reserve would collect the bars for safekeeping.
Investigators say they used cellphone data to identify Zhong Ren as the person who showed up to collect those gold bars back in April.
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a nationwide consumer alert as this scam continues to appear across the country.
“Being told to ‘move your money to protect it’ is always a scam,” said the commission. “Nobody legitimate will tell you to protect your money by transferring or withdrawing it from your bank or investment accounts, but scammers will.”