Two people from Brooklyn are facing felony charges after allegedly trying to scam a Tuscarora resident out of $28,000 by remotely taking control of their computer.
The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office said deputies arrested Chengbin Lin, 49, and Linquing Chen, 48, on Saturday after the victim contacted law enforcement about the suspicious payment.
Deputies were able to intervene before any money was lost. Lin and Chen were arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny in the third degree — a class E felony — and criminal facilitation in the fourth degree.
Investigators later discovered that both suspects had previously been deported and were not legally in the U.S. at the time of their arrest. They were turned over to federal agents before their arraignment.
Sheriff Jim Allard credited the victim for recognizing the scam and calling authorities in time to stop it.
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