On October 17, 2025, the Yonkers Police Department in New York, with assistance from New York City Police, arrested 34-year-old Brooklyn resident Zhi Wei Zhao for facilitating a Social Security scam, where:
- The scammers will send fraudulent emails falsely claiming their victims, in this case an elderly woman, was under investigation by federal authorities.
- In order to “clear” the “pending charges,” the victim will be asked to withdraw $40,000 from their bank account and hand it off to a designated courier, or money mule.
Zhao has since been charged with 3rd-degree grand larceny, punishable by up to 7 years in prison.