FLORIDA — A man accused of stealing more than $50,000 from Floridians in a high-tech scam involving fake pop-up alerts and impersonation has been charged, said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Weikai Zhang is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly targeting victims across Florida with fraudulent online pop-up messages warning of banking issues, then posing as a bank employee to collect cash in person.
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According to the Attorney General’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit, Zhang is said to have scammed one Orange County resident out of $23,000. Investigators said he tried to convince the victim their bank account had been compromised and instructed them to deposit funds into a “safe account” using cryptocurrency kiosks.
When that failed, Zhang reportedly traveled in person and collected $23,000 in cash directly from the victim, who believed Zhang was a bank representative. Surveillance video is said to show the exchange taking place.
In a second incident, Zhang is accused of using the same tactics to target a senior woman in Martin County, where he reportedly collected $30,000 in cash under false pretenses.
He faces one count of organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or more, a first-degree felony; one count of exploitation of a person 65 years or older in the amount of $10,000 or more but less than $50,000, a second-degree felony; and one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft over $20,000 but less than $100,000, a third-degree felony.
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“This cyber fraudster exploited Floridians, including a senior, and stole tens of thousands of dollars,” said Attorney General Uthmeier.
“This will not be allowed to stand in Florida.”
The investigation was conducted by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit.
