Bank noticed customer’s activity, led cops to man who was scamming her, US police say

The Flagstar Bank’s location on Main Street in Sayreville called police after discrepancies gave the staff reason to believe the elderly woman was the victim of an online scam. — Photo by Tara Winstead: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-fake-money-7111608/

Middlesex County police are crediting a bank for leading investigators to a Maryland man now accused of scamming an elderly customer.

Zhongqiang Chen, 32, of Rockville, was arrested after driving to New Jersey to collect cash from the woman he allegedly scammed online, Sayreville police said Thursday.

Chen’s attorney information was not immediately available. He is charged with multiple counts of theft and conspiracy to commit theft, police said.

The Flagstar Bank’s location on Main Street in Sayreville called police after discrepancies gave the staff reason to believe the elderly woman was the victim of an online scam.

Police said investigators found Chen allegedly targeted the woman through a pop-up message that urged her to contact a Microsoft phone number. The woman, police said, was convinced she needed to provide money to restore her compromised bank account.

It was unclear Thursday if any other alleged scammers were involved in the scheme. – nj.com/Tribune News Service