(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the return of $30,000 to an 85-year-old Northport resident who had fallen victim to a “confidence scam,” after investigators tracked the stolen funds to Franklin County, Georgia, and secured a court order for its return. Two New York City residents now face charges for the alleged scheme – Chao Chen, 34, of Queens, was charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, and Guiming Zhu, 44, of Brooklyn, was charged with Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.
“This case highlights the importance of not being embarrassed. If you alert law enforcement quickly to scams, we may be able to get your money back before it is gone,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I thank the Northport Village detective who took swift action and coordinated investigation efforts with my office and the Franklin County police in Georgia in order to identify those responsible and to recover the stolen funds.”
According to the investigation, on September 29, 2025, the victim was on her home computer when she received multiple pop-up messages indicating that her computer had been compromised. One of those pop-up messages instructed her to call a designated phone number for assistance. The victim called the number and spoke with an individual who falsely claimed to work for Apple. After speaking to them for approximately two hours, the victim then was put into contact with someone falsely claiming to be a representative who worked at the victim’s bank. That person deceived the victim by saying that multiple credit and debit cards in her name had been compromised, and that $45,000 had been spent on pornographic websites.
The following day, on September 30, 2025, the person claiming to work for the victim’s bank allegedly called the victim, told her to withdraw $30,000, and to give the money to him for safekeeping. The victim made the withdrawal, and Chen allegedly went to the victim’s house and took her money.
After sensing something was not right, the victim contacted the Northport Village Police Department the next day, October 1, 2025.
On October 2, 2025, the alleged scammers reached out to the victim again requesting an additional $30,000.
The investigating detective identified Chen and Zhu as persons of interest. He also identified a vehicle connected to the scheme and shared that information with law enforcement partners in an effort to recover the funds and charge the perpetrators. Chen and Zhu were located and placed under arrest by the Northport Police Department.
On October 3, 2025, law enforcement in Franklin County, Georgia, acting on information provided by the Northport Village detective, allegedly located and stopped the vehicle which resulted in the seizure of the $30,000 that was stolen from the victim. The individual driving the vehicle was not arrested at the time and has since fled to China.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s Asset Forfeiture and Intelligence Bureau, District Attorney investigators, and the Northport detective, then coordinated with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia to obtain a court order directing the return of the funds to the victim, an outcome that is uncommon in confidence fraud cases of this kind.
On October 2, 2025, Chen was arraigned for Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony before Northport Village Justice Brian Trodden. Justice Trodden ordered that Chen be placed on supervised release during the pendency of the case. Chen is due back in court on May 11, 2026, and he is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.
On December 1, 2025, Guiming Zhu was arraigned in absentia before Justice Trodden for Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class E felony. On February 9, 2026, Zhu was placed in custody due to an arrest warrant out of Ulster County. Zhu is due back in court on May 11, 2026, and he is being represented by Scott Zerner, Esq.
Suffolk County residents are urged to remain vigilant. Scammers rely on fear, urgency, and secrecy to pressure victims into acting before they can think clearly. Do not give out personal or banking information over the phone. If anyone asks you to withdraw cash or purchase gift cards and send them via mail or courier, contact your bank or local police department immediately. When in doubt, hang up and call the person or institution back directly using a verified number.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Giovanna DiFilippo and Amanda Sparacino of the Intake & Discovery Compliance Bureau. The return of the stolen funds from the State of Georgia to the victim was supervised by Deputy Bureau Chief Robert Barry of the Asset Forfeiture and Intelligence Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Northport Village Police Department Detective Stephen Kerekes, Suffolk County District Attorney Investigator Paul Rauseo, with assistance from members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.