San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced criminal charges today
against a man for his role in a scam that targeted an elderly San Diego woman who was
convinced to pay over $200,000 in cash to the thieves over several weeks. Zhi Gao, a 22-year-
old resident of San Gabriel, CA, was arrested Thursday evening when he went to the victim’s
home to pick up a cash payment from her. He has been charged with attempted grand theft,
attempted receiving stolen property, and resisting an officer in the performance of their duties.
Gao is believed to be part of a larger theft ring and a courier for the criminal network.
“We are alerting our community about the most common and current scam that is stealing
precious life savings from our seniors,” DA Stephan said. “This egregious case of financial elder
abuse is a compelling reminder to seniors and their families to be aware of the warning signs of a
scam and reach out for help. These ruthless scammers targeted a vulnerable elderly woman
through a sophisticated fraud scheme. The case should also serve as a warning to scammers who
are running such criminal enterprises that we’re working together in a first-of-its-kind Elder
Justice Task Force and having increased success in tracking them down and putting them behind
bars.”
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If you or somebody you know has been the victim of any sfraud or scam, please report the case to your local law enforcement agency and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/ If you are concerned and suspect anyone you know may be the victim of any type of elder abuse, you can make a referral to Adult Protective Services by calling 1-800-339-4661
