Couple Swindled Out Of Thousands In Bogus FBI Scam

Two Chinese nationals are in jail after police say they posed as FBI agents and conned a Kittitas County couple out of a large amount of money.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says it began on Nov. 15 when the couple received a phone call from a woman who claimed to be a federal agent in possession of evidence that the couple had been involved in cybercrimes.

Investigators say the woman demanded thousands of dollars in cash or she would send FBI agents to their home, and the couple complied out of fear - giving the money to a woman who showed up at their home the following day.

Get our free mobile app

The day after handing over the first batch of cash, the couple reportedly received another call from the same woman demanding more money in exchange for avoidance of similar consequences. This time, however, the couple contacted the Sheriff's Office, who arrested two men who showed up to collect a second bag of cash.

Thirty-five-year-old Wentao Qu and Lutao Tian, also 35, both of California, were booked into the Kittitas County Jail on charges of theft with a bail of $1 million each.

Detectives say the woman who collected the first payment from the couple is likely the one who placed the phone calls to initiate the scam, and is also described as being of Asian descent. Attempts to identify, locate, and apprehend her are ongoing.

In a statement about the crimes on social media, Kittitas County Sheriff's officials wrote, "computer and phone-based scams have become very elaborate, informed, and convincing. Suspects do extensive research on their targets, including private information from illegal data thefts. They ruthlessly manipulate and intimidate their targets to get what they want: your money."