YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Deputies in York County have arrested a man who they said could be part of a national crime network pretending to be officers and scamming people out of cash.
Action 9 first warned you about this impersonation scam last January.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Watch out for scammers pretending to be York County deputies ]
Detectives with the York County Sheriff’s Office said they first learned about 43-year-old Shulong Li on Dec. 11. That’s when a Minnesota woman said someone called her and told her to send money to a Fort Mill address in order to “clear her son’s name.”
The next day, investigators launched an operation to recover that woman’s money and to find the suspect. That eventually led to this arrest.
“We also identified the suspect’s vehicle and were able to arrest him,” YCSO Sheriff Kevin Tolson said.
According to YCSO, Li was arrested on Dec. 12 for an unrelated traffic-related offense. During their search, officers discovered a large number of cash and list of other Fort Mill addresses connected to the law enforcement impersonator investigation.
Police said Li is from College Point, New York. We’re working on getting information on Li’s full charges.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: York County sheriff seeing increase in law enforcement impersonator scams ]
Earlier this year, Tolson told Channel 9′s Tina Terry his office called a number used by a scammer and when it stopped ringing, you could hear a digital recording on the other end that sounded as if it was the sheriff’s office.
Tolson said his employees would never ask for money over the phone and he’s warning people, especially the elderly, to be on guard.
“If you suspect it is a scam, hang up,” he said.
Tolson said you can call the real sheriff’s office at 803-628-3059 to find out if the call was real. They can also help you file a police report if needed.
With Li now in jail, detectives are still investigating the full scope of the scam. More on their investigation tonight, starting at 5 p.m.
VIDEO: York County couple says scammer tricked them out of almost $70K
This browser does not support the video element.