A New York teenager was arrested in Maryland in connection with a so-called "gold bar scam" that bilked an elderly woman out of nearly a million dollars, police said Tuesday.
Zhenyong Weng, 19, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arrested in Silver Spring, Md., on Monday and is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police.
According to police, an 82-year-old Silver Spring woman was contacted in May by an unknown person posing as a government official who told her to convert her assets into gold bars to prevent Russia from taking her money. She complied with the unknown caller's demands, and ultimately handed over several packages to multiple suspects, containing more than $900,000 worth of gold bars.
Weng was arrested while allegedly attempting to pick up one of the packages, valued at over $70,000.
Police believe there may be additional victims, and are reminding the community that "law enforcement will never attempt to contact you in this manner."
Police are also asking anyone with information about the scam or additional suspects to come forward or submit an anonymous tip.
--with reporting by TMX
