San Jose man arrested in Auburn for attempted scam

A San Jose man was arrested in Auburn on June 20 after attempting to scam an elderly woman out of $30,000. The Nevada County Sheriff's Office reported its Regional Dispatch Center received a call at 3:40 p.m. reporting a phone scam in progress. The caller noted she believed her 75-year-old friend was on the phone with a scammer. According to the Sheriff's Office, the caller indicated her friend took the money out of her bank account to give to the scammer and another individual was on the way to her residence to collect the money. A deputy was able to locate the suspect vehicle parked southbound on the shoulder of Highway 49 near the victim's residence with a provided description of the car. The Sheriff's Office confirmed the driver was identified as Rushabh Rajesh Desai, 35. Desai was arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime, attempting to obtain money by false pretense and elder theft. No in-custody information was located for Desai. On June 10, the Placer County Sheriff's Office arrested Yunming Fn, 36, of San Gabriel after he approached an Auburn residence in an attempt to pick up money from an elderly victim. "Scams are very common, and unfortunately, many of them go unreported as victims feel embarrassed or shame once they realize they were tricked," Nevada County Sheriff's Captain Rusty Greene said. "We recommend anyone who feels they are being targeted to please not encourage the possible scammer and to get in contact with us immediately or minimally involve a trusted friend or family member for support, which is what happened here." The Nevada County Sheriff's Office also provided the following tips to guard against scammers: As scammers often require immediate action, any call surrounding urgency should be viewed suspiciously. Reputable companies will never ask for a payment in the form of gift cards, prepaid credit cards or send a money courier. Resist the urge to act immediately when receiving a call, text or email that doesn't feel right. Stop and talk to someone trusted, like a family member, friend, bank or law enforcement. When in doubt, do not engage with a suspected scammer. Hang up and block their number when possible.