Ontario, CA – The ORION Taskforce has arrested a suspect for defrauding the elderly and returned approximately $500,000 to identified fraud victims.
The Ontario Regional Interdiction of Narcotics (ORION) Taskforce is made up of officers from the Ontario and Upland Police departments. Together, they work to combat financial fraud and illegal narcotics being shipped across the country.
In late January of 2024, ORION Taskforce Officers intercepted fraud-related packages shipped from all over the country to several Southern California drug stores. Through their investigation, Taskforce Officers learned the receivers' names on the packages were false and that the elaborate scheme also involved financially defrauding elderly victims, by having the victims ship money to the suspect after false promises were made. These false promises included telling victims their computer was hacked or they needed protection from the FBI and to resolve these issues, they needed to ship money to the suspect.
The suspect was identified as Huiming Yu, a 27-year-old male from the city of Alhambra. He was subsequently arrested for PC 532(a) - Theft by False Pretenses and booked at the West Valley Detention Center.
There are believed to be over 30 victims and because of the Taskforce’s work, approximately $500,000 has been returned to the victims thus far.
We want to remind our communities to stay vigilant. Protect yourself from fraud by verifying identities by doing research, avoid unsolicited offers, and to seek advice if unsure. Report all suspicious activity to the police immediately.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ontario Police Department at (909) 986-6711 or Officer Jose Valencia at (909) 408-1606. Information can be reported anonymously by calling WE-TIP at 800-78-CRIME or online at www.wetip.com.
