Officials said Sunday that a 31-year-old man from Los Angeles County is suspected of taking thousands of dollars from a victim while impersonating an Internal Revenue Service agent.
When deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Norco Station arrived at the 2300 block of Kips Korner on May 1 in response to accusations of the fraud, the investigation into the incident got underway.
“The victim told deputies that an unknown suspect was posing as an Internal Revenue Service Officer and had extorted approximately $20,000 by fraudulently advising them that their financial accounts had been compromised,” RCSD investigators said in a news release.
The suspect—later identified as Ziquan Ou, a resident of Arcadia—contacted the victim once more, saying they needed to pay more money and that he would personally come and collect it.
According to reports, the 31-year-old arrived at the scene while deputies were there and was taken into custody.
Officials said that a search of his automobile turned up drugs, several identification cards, and a handgun.
Investigators suspect that Ou’s plan may have affected more people, and they want anyone with more information to call Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Acost at the Norco Sheriff’s Station at 951-270-5673.
The 31-year-old suspect was arrested on many fraud-related and drug possession offenses at the Robert Presley Detention Center.
