Accused Online Scammer Arrested In San Mateo County

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — A man arrested in San Mateo County this week is accused of posing as the representative of an antivirus company and using "ransomware" to extract money from a Peninsula victim.

According to the sheriff's office, a man in his 60s contacted the authorities to report fraud after an encounter Tuesday. The man told deputies the suspect contacted him by e-mail and phone, eventually gaining remote access to his computer.

Investigators said the suspect posed as an employee of a large antivirus and cybersecurity firm and told the victim he was entitled to a refund. After a few hours, the suspect instructed the victim to pay a large amount of money to "correct an error" in the refund, then visited his home to collect the money.

The victim reported the incident the next day, and investigators quickly identified a suspect. The sheriff's office publicly named the suspect Thursday as Hongliang He, 38, of Southern California. He was booked into the Maguire Correction Facility on suspicion of obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The sheriff's office said preliminary information suggested the suspect was part of a "larger international scam," and detectives are attempting to identify additional suspects and potential victims.

Anyone with information about similar cases can call detectives at 650-363-4050 or leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-547-2700.