NC Woman Scammed Out of $17,500 by Fake Bank Agent Who Came to Her Door

ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — A North Carolina woman is speaking out after she was scammed out of $17,500 in a complex scheme involving a fake bank employee who not only accessed her computer remotely — but also showed up at her home to collect the cash in person.

The Scam Began With a Locked Bank Account

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said it all started when she tried to log in to her bank account and couldn’t access her information. She then called the number saved in her phone for her bank, but unknowingly connected to a scammer. The man claimed there was a suspicious PayPal charge and convinced her she needed to act quickly to resolve the issue.

The scam escalated after she downloaded what she thought were banking tools, giving the scammer full access to her computer. She saw what appeared to be $18,000 deposited into her account — but in reality, it was just a transfer between her savings and checking accounts.

He told her she needed to “return” the funds by withdrawing cash and said, “You have to get cash, go to your bank and get cash.” (ABC7)

Scammer Used Her Printer to Generate Fake Letters

The woman became more convinced after a forged Bank of America letter appeared on her printer, citing a “serious matter concerning your account.” It warned her not to discuss the issue with her local branch and falsely claimed the IRS had frozen her transfers.

While still on the phone — for more than four hours — she withdrew $17,500 from her bank, where staff asked if she was being pressured. She said no, unaware of the scam, and even signed a document confirming the withdrawal was voluntary.

Man Shows Up at Her Door to Collect the Money

After returning home, the woman received another fake letter instructing her to give the money to a man named “Mr. Jack.” A doorbell camera later captured the moment a man arrived at her home and she handed him the cash.

Later that day, when recounting the story to her daughters, one of them stopped her and said: “Mom, you’ve been scammed.”

Authorities later identified the suspect as Linghui Zheng, who has been charged with obtaining property under false pretenses. Zheng is also linked to similar fraud cases in Person, Durham, and Granville counties, with the total loss across victims estimated near $400,000.

The woman, a cancer survivor, said the stolen funds were from an insurance policy she had saved to pay medical bills:
“It never occurred to me that there was going to be an evil person come into my life.”

Have you or someone you know been contacted by suspicious callers claiming to be from your bank? Share your story in the comments and follow Saluda Standard-Sentinel for ongoing consumer protection updates in North Carolina.