$900K In Gold Bars Stolen From MOCO Woman In Scam: Police

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Montgomery County woman gave scammers $900,000 in gold bars, the latest in at least 17 similar cases of residents paying money to thieves posing as federal agents, authorities said.

Zhenyong Weng, 19, of Brooklyn, New York, has been arrested for allegedly targeting an 82-year-old Silver Spring woman through a government-imposter related gold bar scam.

In early May, the victim was contacted by an unknown individual who told her to transfer her assets into gold bars, to prevent Russia from taking her money.

Charging documents said the woman received an alert on her computer telling her to call a phone number. The alert falsely claimed that criminals had compromised the woman’s computer, bank account and Social Security number. WTOP reported that over several months, she was told her money was at risk, gave the suspects $46,000 and was persuaded to convert her savings into gold bars that thieves posing as federal agents would pick up for safekeeping.

The victim gave the suspects several packages worth over $900,000 in gold bars.

On Monday, July 15, Weng was arrested in Silver Spring while he attempted to collect a package from the victim, valued at more than $70,000, police said in a news release.

This scam is the latest in a string of similar incidents in the county, according to Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“This woman lost $900,000 in this case. The amounts are escalating, the number of incidents continue to grow. We now have at least 17 victims here in Montgomery County, to the sum of millions of dollars,” McCarthy said Tuesday after Weng's court hearing.

“This was going to be the third pickup. This woman lost $900,000, and they were on their way to $2.5 million more. This was a big-money scam,” McCarthy told WTOP.

Detectives believe there may be additional victims and said residents that law enforcement will never attempt to contact you in this manner.

Weng is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org (http://www.crimesolversmcmd.org/) and click on the “www.p3tips.com (http://www.p3tips.com/)” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. Tips may remain anonymous.

For additional information about frauds and scams or to learn how to report a situation, visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol/fraud/financial-crimes-section.html.