DARTMOUTH — A New York man was arrested on fraud charges in Dartmouth after an elaborate sting operation conducted by local law enforcement.
The Dartmouth Police Department announced the arrest of Bishi Zhu, 29, of Brooklyn, following a report by a local resident who suspected they had been scammed.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, at about 5 p.m., the victim reached out to the police after encountering a computer pop-up claiming their system had been hacked and urging them to contact “Apple Security.”
The victim was then deceived into believing their bank accounts were compromised and personal information was used illegally.
An imposter, posing as a bank representative, instructed the victim to withdraw and transfer $30,000 in two separate transactions for safeguarding.
After the second cash pickup, the concerned resident alerted the police.
Detective Kyle Berube and the Community Impact Unit devised a reverse sting operation to apprehend the suspect.
On Friday, Sept. 13, Zhu was caught when he attempted to collect additional cash from the victim.
Zhu now faces charges including attempts to commit a crime and conspiracy (larceny by false pretense).
Detective Berube continues to lead the ongoing investigation.
The Dartmouth Police Department urges the public to be vigilant about suspicious communications and to report potential fraud cases by calling 508-910-1735 or visiting the Federal Trade Commission website for more information on scams.
