A Fremont man pleaded not guilty to five theft-related felonies in Ventura County Superior Court on Aug. 31 for allegedly scamming an elderly man out of $25,000.
The 35-year-old was charged with grand theft, theft from an elder, attempted grand theft, attempted theft from an elder and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
He also denied special allegations that the victim was vulnerable and the crime was carried out with planning, sophistication and professionalism. Such allegations can lead to increased sentencing if found true.
The charges stem from an incident where an elderly Ventura County man was tricked into withdrawing $20,000 in cash and delivering it to the Fremont man, the DA’s office
said.
The elderly man received a pop-up message on his computer on Aug. 4 instructing him to call Microsoft, DA officials said. He called the number given and was transferred to several people before speaking to a person who identified themself as “Damian Myers."
Myers told the elderly man that there had been a $25,000 fraudulent charge to purchase child pornography in China from his bank account, the DA’s office said.
The fake worker then instructed the man to withdraw $25,000 in cash to protect his funds, officials said. The Ventura County man withdrew $20,000 in cash from two bank branches and purchased $5,000 worth of gift cards.
Myers then told the man to meet a person, later identified as the Fremont man, posing as a Federal Trade Commission representative to collect the money.
The 35-year-old allegedly met with the elderly man to collect the money on Aug. 5 at a location in Ventura and accepted the money, officials said.
The Ventura County man later grew suspicious of the transaction and contacted law enforcement, DA’s officials said.
Myers stayed in contact with the elderly man, and after their latest communication on Aug. 26, the man contacted law enforcement.
On Aug. 27, the Ventura Police Department and the DA’s office were able to lure the Fremont man back to meet with the Ventura County man under the belief that he would be receiving another package for $20,000, DA’s officials said.
He was arrested and booked into Ventura County jail with bail set at $250,000, jail records show. He is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 4.
The DA’s office believes the alleged fraudsters operate outside of Ventura County and target elderly residents online.
The agency has urged residents to stay cautious of similar scams by looking out for signs of scams, including messages that contain:
- Urgency such as “You must act right now!”
- Secrecy, such as urging victims not to tell anyone.
- Threats of arrest, a lawsuit or losing your money if you do not comply.
- Use of unusual payment methods such as gift cards, crypto or cash pickups.
If you believe you or someone you know has been a victim of similar scams call District Attorney Investigator Eric Jensen at 805-662-1750.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fremont man accused of scamming elderly Ventura County man of $25K
