“The guy called, and he said, ‘Well, we got somebody to come pick up the money. You have to meet us. I’ll give you the location,’” she told FOX 5 Atlanta. “You know, you live under strain constantly because you’re saying, ‘are they real?’ I’m still upset over it … it wore me out … I can’t believe I got scammed.”
It wasn’t until her bank flagged the unusual transactions and alerted Tarczewski’s daughter that the situation came to the attention of authorities. On Oct. 7, deputies responded to a 911 caller who said it appeared his mother-in-law was being scammed.
An undercover operation led to a planned cash handoff, with one woman now facing multiple charges in connection with the alleged scam.
How the alleged scam unfolded
Tarczewski told FOX 5 Atlanta that she was persuaded to wire money, buy nearly $10,000 in gift cards and withdraw $40,000 in cash for someone she believed was a federal agent. By the time the scheme came to light, however, she’d already lost about $50,000.
That led to an undercover investigation by the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, which arranged a planned $35,000 cash handoff. Deputies arrested Zishan Zeng, 58, who faces four charges, including theft by deception and elder exploitation. She is currently being held without bond.
Investigators told FOX 5 Atlanta that they also believe a second suspect — currently unidentified — may also have been involved.
Banks may notice something’s off before a customer realizes they’re being scammed. In Tarczewski’s case, her bank flagged the unusual transactions and contacted her daughter, who helped get police involved.
Between June 2022 and June 2023, financial institutions filed more than 155,000 reports involving suspected financial exploitation of older adults, covering about $27 billion in suspicious activity, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
How to protect yourself from a government impersonation scam
If someone calls claiming to be from a government agency and says your money is at risk, be careful about what they ask you to do. No legitimate agency will tell you to buy gift cards, withdraw cash or wire money to protect your savings. Don’t give out your banking information or verification codes, either.
