A suspect in a computer pop-up scam is in Martin County Jail after deputies say he stole $50,000 from a local senior citizen.
Weikai Zhang, 43, was arrested in New York and charged with organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of a person 65 years or older, and conspiracy to commit grand theft.
WATCH: Sheriff John Budensiek on how pop-up scam operates
In a social media post, the Martin County Sheriff's Office says Zhang is part of a larger criminal organization that targets the elderly via internet scams.
They say while he was in Florida, he scammed several victims — including a Palm City resident — out of $613,000.
Sheriff John Budensiek told WPTV that the Martin County case started in July 2024. A Palm City woman contacted the sheriff's office, stating that she had been on her computer when a Microsoft pop-up showed up on her screen, urging her to call a number on the screen.
She did, and the person on the line claimed her computer and her bank account had been compromised.
They convinced the victim to withdraw $10,000 and try to convert it into Bitcoin. She wasn't able to, but eventually the victim was asked to withdraw $30,000 after the scammer noticed there was more money in her accounts. Budensiek says Zhang came to her house to pick up the money.
Pop-up scammers often pose as call center employees or tech support, fraudulently claiming they can help victims with a computer virus or tech issue, before gaining access to their financial info.
Budensiek said it's often difficult to make an arrest in these kinds of cases.
Zhang is being held on $700,000 bond.
