In the first case, Le Chen, age 40, of Flushing, New York, was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Telephone Fraud in the First Degree. Chen was held on a $175,000 bond and appeared at Bridgeport Superior Court on 3/3/2026. The charges stem from a June 2025 incident in which a Fairfield resident was directed to withdraw funds and purchase gold, which was later collected by a courier. The Fairfield resident in this case sustained an approximate loss of $166,000.
In a second investigation, Fangzeng Huang, age 37, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Telephone Fraud in the First Degree. Huang was held on a $650,000 bond and appeared at Bridgeport Superior Court on 3/3/2026. These charges are related to a September 2025 incident in which another Fairfield resident was persuaded to convert assets into gold and provide it to individuals posing as couriers. The resident in this case suffered an approximate loss of $291,070, which included a wire transfer and the purchase of gold. Additional arrests are pending in this investigation.
While the tactics used in these incidents were similar, each investigation involved different victims and different suspects. Combined, these two investigations represent more than $457,000 in reported losses to Fairfield residents.
These cases required extensive investigative work, including detailed surveillance review, financial tracing across multiple banking institutions, and the execution of search warrants for telecommunications and digital records. Detectives worked closely with regional and federal partners to identify those responsible and bring charges forward. The Fairfield Police Department remains committed to thoroughly investigating these crimes, holding offenders accountable, and working collaboratively to disrupt these schemes.
Scams involving impersonation of government agencies, financial institutions, or law enforcement are increasingly targeting older adults and often involve instructions to withdraw large sums of money, purchase gold, or provide assets to a courier. These demands are red flags, and no legitimate agency will ever ask someone to move money or buy gold in order to secure their accounts. We encourage residents to speak with family members about these schemes and to immediately report any suspicious calls or requests.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by a similar scam is encouraged to contact the Fairfield Police Department.
Anyone with information regarding similar incidents is encouraged to contact the Fairfield Police Detective Bureau at (203) 254-4840. Anonymous tips may be submitted by texting the keyword FPDCT and your message to 847411 (Tip411), or online at fpdct.com/tips.