Robert Wise of Licking County, Ohio, is speaking out after allegedly being scammed out of $27,000 — and he’s not holding back.
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Wise, 67, shared his story with WBNS 10TV last month to help others avoid being fooled by “no-good, scum people.”
“I want that big buy nailed and I don’t care who you are. You try again, pal,” he said, pointing at the camera. “It was not legit, it was a scam … Do not answer any text message or phone number that you do not recognize. You do not answer it. You do not respond to it.”
What makes Wise’s case especially alarming is that he says the accused didn’t just text or call him, he came right to his front door to pick up the cash.
Here’s what happened.
A sting operation and arrest
Wise says on May 9 he received a text that looked like a fraud alert from Apple. It read: "Apple pay alert. Your Apple ID was recently used at ‘APPLE STORE’ for 213.33 USD paid by Apple Pay. If it’s not you call 1 805 236 9601, to cancel the charge."
He called the number and spoke to a man who said his name was “John Cooper” and that the charges on Wise’s Apple ID totaled $27,000.
“He said I had to go and withdraw $27,000 from my bank account immediately or it was going to be drained,” said Wise. After Wise failed to deposit the funds into a Bitcoin machine, "Cooper" said he would send someone to Wise’s house to collect the money in person.
After the funds were handed over, Wise called the sheriff’s office. He was instructed to stay in contact with "Cooper" so that he could be caught.
Detectives launched a sting operation and arrested 42-year-old Liwei Zhang, who showed up again at Wise’s house to collect more money. Zhang has since been indicted on theft, identity fraud and telecommunications fraud charges, reports WBNS 10TV.
The sheriff’s office told the news network this is the second case this year of scammers showing up in person to collect money. “It’s getting a little more dangerous,” said Col. Chris Barbuto. “We’re not just online anymore — we are face-to-face.”
According to the report, Zhang told authorities he was living in the U.S. on a business visa. He also claimed he was just a middleman and had been involved in other scams.
“Based on his bank records, which we have frozen, there are likely other victims out there — we just haven’t identified them yet,” said Licking County Prosecutor Jenny Wells to the news network.
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How to protect yourself from fake text scams
Scams like this often start with a text that looks like it’s from an organization you may expect to hear from, like Apple, Amazon, your bank, or even the IRS. The message may warn of suspicious account activity or an urgent charge and then tell you to call a number or click a link to fix the issue.
From there, scammers pressure you to send money through untraceable methods like Bitcoin, gift cards, wire transfers, or, increasingly, in person.
Red flags to watch out for include:
- Urgent language or threats (“Act now or your account will be closed.”)
- Requests for payments in untraceable methods like cash, crypto, or gift cards
- Calls or texts from numbers you don’t recognize
- Messages with grammatical errors or awkward formatting
If you do receive a suspicious text, here’s what you should do:
- Don’t respond: If you get a suspicious message, don’t call the number or click any links.
- Verify independently: If the message claims to be from your bank, Apple, or another company, contact them directly using the official website or phone number, not the one in the message.
- Never give remote access: No legitimate company will ask to take control of your device or request login credentials.
- Never pay strangers: Real companies and government agencies will never ask for payment in Bitcoin or cash pickups at your house.
- Report the message: Forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM), report it on the messaging app you use, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your local law enforcement agency.
If you think you’ve been scammed, call your bank immediately to flag any suspicious activity. Then, file a police report and a fraud report with the FTC.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
