Barnegat Senior Scammed In $750K International Gold Bar Scheme: Police

BARNEGAT, NJ — Two were charged in an India-based international gold bar scheme that scammed a 76-year-old Barnegat resident out of $200,000 and almost lost him an additional $750,000, Barnegat police said.

The investigation was launched after the FBI alerted Barnegat police that the man had been victimized, according to a news release.

The man had purchased nearly $200,000 in gold bars from a legitimate dealer in Las Vegas, Nevada, police said. He had been contacted by a scammer posing as an Apple Care representative following a pop-up message on his iPad. The scammer falsely claimed that the man's bank accounts had been compromised by a hacker and convinced him that the only way to protect his assets was to convert him into gold and surrender them to a "courier" who would then deposit them into the Federal Reserve for safekeeping, police said.

He complied with the scammer and turned over about $200,000 in gold bars to a man posing as a courier on April 16, police said.

The suspect kept in contact with the man and persuaded him to make an additional purchase of about $550,000 in gold bars, scheduled for delivery on April 28, police said.

In coordination with a New Jersey State Police translator, Barnegat officers set up surveillance and personnel in the man's home.

Shortly after the scheduled delivery, two individuals arrived and tried to take the package that contained the gold bars, police said. Police took those two into custody at the scene.

The two individuals, identified as Chen Tongyong and Jianming Jiang, were charged with second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft. Both now sit in the Ocean County Jail as the investigation continues.

"The Barnegat Police Department urges residents to remain vigilant when contacted about financial matters," police said. "If something feels suspicious, do not hesitate to reach out to law enforcement. Please also check in regularly with friends and family members who may be vulnerable to scams of this nature."