The New York City Police Department’s 109th Precinct issued a warning on May 14 on X platform: Pay attention to the WeChat account “daviechen1988.” The perpetrator used this WeChat account to discuss buying and selling with victims, and then carried out multiple robberies and major thefts in the Flushing area.
According to the police announcement, the nickname of this WeChat account is “Davie”; the WeChat ID is “daviechen1988”; the location is the United States. The WeChat profile picture is a photo of a man’s back silhouette.
The police’s wanted notice states that the individual behind the WeChat account “Daviechen1988” has committed multiple robberies and major thefts in the Flushing area. Multiple victims discussed transactions with this account and then met the perpetrator at designated locations. There, the perpetrator used violence or weapons to steal the victims’ belongings.
WeChat is frequently abused by criminals in the United States. In the past, there have been incidents in Flushing where criminals used WeChat to contact victims for currency exchange, arranged meetings, and immediately committed crimes.
Users of WeChat can conceal their true identities. If the suspect does not leave local phone numbers or other clues, the U.S. police can only rely on information provided by the victims. WeChat’s servers are located in China, and U.S. authorities cannot directly obtain user information or operational authority from WeChat. Even if victims report to the police, law enforcement can only issue warnings based on the WeChat account provided by the victim, making it difficult to solve cases immediately.
The 109th Precinct has repeatedly warned that extra caution should be taken when engaging in transactions such as buying, selling, or exchanging currency with strangers on WeChat. If you have any information related to the WeChat account “daviechen1988,” please call the police department’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477.