A man was apprehended by deputies for allegedly defrauding a San Mateo County resident earlier this week by deploying malware to the victim’s computer, as reported by the Sheriff’s Office.

The 62-year-old victim fell prey to a ransomware scheme orchestrated by the suspect. The scam began with an email contact, followed by phone conversations, eventually leading to remote access to the victim’s computer.

Pretending to represent a prominent antivirus and cybersecurity software company, the suspect convinced the victim that he was eligible for a refund. Subsequently, the victim was coerced into paying a substantial sum of money under the guise of rectifying an alleged refund discrepancy.

After a few hours, the suspect arrived at the victim’s residence and collected the cash. The following day, the victim reported the scam to the Sheriff’s Office, leading to the identification of the suspect as 38-year-old Hongliang He from Southern California.

Hongliang was taken into custody and booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on suspicion of offences such as obtaining money by deception and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Investigators suspect this to be part of a larger international scam and are actively working to identify other individuals involved in the operation, anticipating more victims. The public is strongly advised to exercise caution and refrain from disclosing personal banking information online or over the phone, particularly when solicited for money.

Those with relevant information about the case are urged to contact Detective Matthew West at mwest@smcgov.org or 650-363-4050. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (800) 547-2700.