Police say scammers talked a Georgia senior into withdrawing $40,000, then came back for $35,000 more and walked right into a sting

Phone scams aimed at older Americans often end with the money gone for good, but one in Georgia ended with an arrest. Deputies say scammers pressured a Paulding County senior into withdrawing $40,000, then came back asking for $35,000 more, and the woman sent to collect it walked into a sting, according to Fox.

Joanne Tarczewski says the scheme started with a call from someone posing as a U.S. Treasury agent, who claimed her bank account had been compromised. The caller offered to protect her money if she handed over cash. Over roughly three months, she reportedly wired money and bought close to $10,000 in gift cards before withdrawing $40,000, losing more than $50,000 in all.

The scheme came to light as bank officials noticed the unusually large transactions and alerted Tarczewski’s daughter, who contacted law enforcement. Deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office then coached the senior to go ahead with the planned $35,000 exchange. Undercover agents and deputies were waiting inside the meeting location when the suspect arrived.

Deputies say the woman who came to collect the cash was taken into custody on the spot

Deputies arrested Zishan Zeng, a Gwinnett County woman, during the exchange. Zeng faces four counts, including theft by deception and exploitation of elder persons. She has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Investigators are also searching for a second suspect in the scam, who has not been publicly identified.

Tarczewski recalled the moment the scammers told her someone would be sent to her. “Well, we got somebody to come pick up the money,” Joanne Tarczewski said, describing what the caller told her. The Paulding County senior said she is still upset and cannot believe she was scammed, and it is not clear whether she will get back the money she already handed over.

Sheriff Ashley Henson used the case to warn residents about callers who claim to represent federal agencies. Henson pointed to the claim that a person’s bank has been compromised as a common opening line, as it helps scammers gain trust quickly. In this case, deputies described it as an FDIC phone scam, named for the agency that insures bank deposits.

Henson’s warning centered on callers who claim to work for government agencies, a tactic that also surfaced when a caller posing as a police detective nearly fooled one man. In Tarczewski’s case, the scammers kept up the pressure for months before her bank stepped in.

Banks are often among the first to spot schemes like this one, as large and unusual withdrawals by older customers can trigger a closer look. However, deputies have not said how much of the money Tarczewski lost, if any, has been traced. The scam involved gift cards and wire transfers as well as cash, which can make recovery harder.

The FDIC and the Treasury Department do not call people to say their accounts are at risk and ask them to move their savings. Federal regulators also do not send anyone to collect cash in person or ask for payment in gift cards, two hallmarks of the scheme Tarczewski described. However, the second suspect remains at large as the investigation continues.

Investigators may be able to trace more of the money if the second suspect is found, and Zeng’s case is expected to move through the Paulding County courts in the coming months as investigators keep looking for whoever made the calls.