A Los Angeles County woman was arrested in Goleta on Monday on suspicion of trying to scam an elderly resident out of $30,000 while pretending to be an Amazon employee. 

Caihong Lei, 34, was booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on charges related to grand theft by false pretense and conspiracy to commit fraud, according to Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jarrett Morris.

On Monday, a 77-year-old Goleta resident on the 500 block of Pine Avenue received a call from someone claiming to be from Amazon to alert the victim of supposed unauthorized charges on her account and fabricated bank accounts opened in her name.

The call was transferred to a fake Federal Trade Commission agent, who told the victim to withdraw $30,000 from her account to fix the issues, according to Morris. 

The scammer reportedly told the victim to give her bank a fake story to avoid suspicion and stayed on the line during the withdrawals at two Bank of America branches. The suspect demanded photos of the cash, receipts, the victim, and a sealed box containing the money.

The victim began to grow suspicious as she noticed misspellings in emails from the “agent,” so she contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office while she was still on the phone with the alleged scammer and agreed to help deputies apprehend the suspect. 

Lei was seen lingering near the victim’s home before she grabbed the box, and deputies and detectives apprehended her as she walked toward her unoccupied Mercedes SUV, Morris said.

The Sheriff’s Office was able to help the victim return the $30,000 to her bank account. 

A judge authorized a $500,000 bail enhancement because of the severity of the crime and because the Criminal Investigations Division is looking into potential connections to organized scam networks, according to Morris.

On the same day, there were reports of two other scams in Goleta and Montecito involving similar tactics, in which victims were persuaded to withdraw large sums of money under false pretenses. 

In Goleta, a victim was scammed into giving a suspect $40,000 on the 400 block of Kings Way.

In Montecito, a victim was scammed into giving $45,000 to a suspect on the 600 block of El Rancho, according to Morris. 

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating those incidents and is looking to identify those responsible. 

“These cases demonstrate the critical importance of community awareness and quick action in combating these heartless scams,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “Our deputies’ swift response in the Pine Avenue case protected this resident and prevented further victimization, but the additional scams underscore the urgent need for vigilance.”

The Sheriff’s Office shared the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of a scam:

• Verify claims independently: Never act on unsolicited calls about account issues. Hang up and contact the company or agency directly using official numbers from its website.
  
• Be wary of urgent demands: Scammers create pressure to withdraw or send money quickly. Legitimate organizations such as Amazon or the FTC do not request cash withdrawals or personal photos.
  
• Protect personal information: Avoid sharing bank details, photos or passwords over the phone or email. Report suspicious activity to your bank immediately.
  
• Recognize red flags: Poor grammar, misspellings or requests for unusual actions (such as fabricating stories) are common scam indicators.
  
• Report suspicious activity: If you suspect a scam, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 805.683.2724. For emergencies, dial 911 or text 911 if unable to call.