Cowlitz County, WA. – Official Release: On July 30, 2024, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a citizen who was the victim of an ongoing fraud attempt. The victim reported that they had been contacted by a person claiming to be from Microsoft’s fraud department, advising that the victim’s financial account had been compromised. The victim was instructed to remove $55,000 in cash from their account in order to protect their funds. The victim was told a courier would be sent to their home to retrieve the money. Deputies confirmed this was a scam, similar to other thefts resulting in significant financial losses.
On July 31, 2024, deputies and detectives with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office responded to the victim’s residence in an undercover operation to intercept the courier. After several hours, the suspect called the victim and asked them to meet at a local store. The victim was instructed to package the cash in a box and turn it over to the courier, who would have a passcode.
After going to the store as instructed, a male subject contacted the victim near their vehicle and provided the passcode. The victim turned over a package (filled with magazines instead of cash) to the male suspect, who was then placed under arrest by detectives. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Zhongying Chen of Seattle, was booked into Cowlitz County Jail on charges of Attempted Theft 1st Degree and Criminal Impersonation 1st Degree.
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