MARION COUNTY, FL – (352today.com) – On September 18, 2025, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office Detective arrested Jiang Jingcai, 41, on charges of Fraud, with an enhancement due to the victim being over 65 years old, and Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate a Felony.
The scam began on September 16, when the victim received a pop-up message on his iPad instructing him to call a phone number to verify that his device had not been compromised. After he called the number provided, he ended up receiving a call later from a woman who identified herself as “Sydney” and claimed to be affiliated with the investigations division of his bank. She told the victim that, to prevent further compromise or damage to his sensitive personal information, he needed to purchase $4,000 in gift cards and mail them to different addresses.
The victim requested documentation of the supposed investigation, and “Sydney” sent him fake documents on counterfeit letterhead. The victim then purchased $4,000 in gift cards as instructed.
On September 17, “Sydney” contacted the victim again and told him to go to his bank and withdraw $15,000 in cash. She instructed him to place the money in a box, secure it with duct tape, and stated that an “agent” would come by the following morning to pick up the package.
After the victim reported the scam, MCSO detectives responded to his home and waited for the agent to arrive to collect the $15,000. When Jingcai arrived at the residence expecting to pick up the package, he was taken into custody without incident.
Jingcai was transported to the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.