Three men have been charged for allegedly trying to scam a southern Maine man out of $100,000.
The men allegedly tricked the 82-year-old Alfred man into believing that he had received a fraudulent payment in his bank account then convinced him that he must repay it with cash, York County Sheriff William King said in a news release.
The man paid the scammers $50,000, King said. On Tuesday, they returned for the rest and were met by sheriff’s deputies, who arrested them.
Meng Chen, 50, of Staten Island, New York, Wen Chen, 23, New York and Weijie Yan, 21, of New York were charged with theft by deception.
Meng Chen is being held on $100,000 bail. Wen Chen and Yan are both being held on $150,000 bail.
All three men are Chinese citizens. Meng Chen was in the U.S. legally with a green card, Wen Chen was in the U.S. illegally, and Yan entered the U.S. on a student visa but did not attend school, was deported and returned illegally, King said.
