Man allegedly posing as ‘Geek Squad’ employee accused of trying to scam elderly CT woman out of $25K
Police arrested a New York man Tuesday during a surveillance operation that investigators allege thwarted a plan to scam an elderly Fairfield resident out of thousands of dollars.
Bin Sun, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, was taken into custody and charged with one count of criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
He is free on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Feb. 20.
According to police, a Fairfield resident earlier Tuesday reportedly received an email purportedly from the “Geek Squad” falsely claiming the victim was being charged $525 for a purchase. The victim called a phone number attached to the email to dispute the charge and spoke with a male who allegedly claimed to work for the tech support service provider.
Police said the victim, in hopes of obtaining a refund, provided the suspect with bank information and allowed him to remotely access her computer.
According to police, the suspect allegedly manipulated the victim into believing she mistakenly received a $25,000 refund. He then allegedly coerced her into withdrawing $20,000 from the bank and told her someone would stop by her home to pick up the money, police said. The suspect also reportedly said he would need to collect an additional $5,000 the following day.
Fairfield police did not elaborate on how authorities became involved but said detectives conducted a surveillance operation at the victim’s home to apprehend the scammer.
During the operation, detectives observed a vehicle parked across the street from the victim’s home. The driver matched the description provided to the victim by the suspect, who was later identified as Sun, police said.
Police searched Sun and reportedly found that he had “a substantial amount of cash,” Fairfield Sgt. Michael Stahl said in a statement.
Stahl said investigators believe he drove from Brooklyn to Fairfield with the intent of retrieving cash from the victim.
“This operation highlights the dedication of our Detective Bureau and Patrol personnel in protecting our community from scams targeting vulnerable individuals,” Stahl said. “Their quick response and decisive action prevented a significant financial loss.
“Residents are urged to remain vigilant against scams, verify communications, and promptly report suspicious activities to police,” Stahl added.
