Man arrested after posing as bank employee in attempt to steal $25K from elderly Canton woman

Li Biao (Canton Police)

CANTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man who tried to scam an elderly Canton woman is now facing charges after the victim's family noticed suspicious bank transactions.

According to Canton police, 30-year-old Li Biao called the 84-year-old victim earlier this month and said he was a senior fraud officer with her bank. Over four days, Biao allegedly convinced the victim to withdraw money from her bank and give the cash to his co-worker, who would pick it up from her home.

The victim's family called police, and detectives were waiting when Biao arrived at the victim's home on Dec. 17 to pick up $25,000.

Biao, who is a Chinese national who isn't supposed to be in the United States, was arrested and charged with fraudulent false pretenses - $20,000-$50,000 and assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. He was given a $100,0000 cash bond.

"This is a tragic example of elder exploitation financial abuse, with the suspect(s) defrauding and stealing from the victim by taking advantage of her vulnerability due to age," said Canton Support Services Capt. Joseph Bialy. "We encourage family members, friends and caregivers of the elderly to watch out for warning signs that can include a sudden change in financial habits, missing funds, unexplained large withdrawals, new beneficiaries on accounts, or a new individual with excessive control over an elderly person’s finances — and report any findings to their local police department. In this case, family members contacted the police early enough to prevent additional funds being stolen from the victim."