The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C. announced on Friday, August 7th, that they have arrested two Chinese men. The police said the two men are accused of impersonating federal agents in an attempt to trick an 85-year-old man in the District of Columbia into handing over gold bars worth over $200,000.
The arrested individuals are 50-year-old Chu Lin from Fresh Meadows, New York, and 42-year-old Xiean Cheng from Cornelius, North Carolina. They were apprehended on the spot when they attempted to collect the gold from the victim’s home. Both are currently charged with second-degree financial fraud.
According to the MPD press release, the scam began on July 8, 2026. The victim initially received an email followed by a phone call from someone claiming to be a federal agent, stating that his bank account funds were at risk of loss and he needed to purchase gold bars and hand them over for “protection” to avoid the loss.
Believing the scam to be genuine, the victim tried to purchase gold bars worth over $200,000. A gold dealer promptly alerted him that he might be falling victim to fraud and reported the matter to the MPD Financial and Cyber Crimes Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
When the two scammers went to the victim’s home to retrieve the gold bars, officers from the MPD Violent Crimes Unit were on the scene and arrested them.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this case not to take matters into their own hands but to call (202) 727-9099 or send a text to the tip line 50411.
The police stated that the MPD is currently offering a reward of up to $1,000 for providing valuable information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of individuals involved in crimes in the District of Columbia.