LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — Felony charges have been filed against two men accused of scamming a Lake County woman out of $17,000.
Danny Paio, a 29-year-old New York resident and Chul Paik, a 44-year-old New Jersey resident, have each been charged with two felony counts of theft.
Lake County deputies say the charges stem from the duo’s alleged role in a scheme to con an 80-year-old woman out of thousands by posing as representatives for the online payment service PayPal.
According to deputies, an investigation into the incident revealed that the scheme began earlier this month after the duo allegedly sent the victim, an 80-year-old Green Oaks resident, an email claiming to be representatives from PayPal.
The email allegedly claimed that the victim had made a purchase of more than $760 and instructed her to call a phone number if she did not authorize the purchase. But deputies said when she called the number, the scammers on the other end were able to gain access to her bank accounts.
The scheme allegedly continued when deputies say the suspects then transferred money between the victim’s accounts, then allegedly convinced her that the money was the result of an accidental refund.
In order to correct the purported error, the suspects allegedly instructed the victim to withdraw $17,000 in cash and turn it over to them in person.
The suspects allegedly coordinated a meetup with the victim, and on Sept. 8, Paio and Paik allegedly met her at a senior living center in Green Oaks, where they allegedly took the cash.
After learning about the alleged scheme, deputies began an investigation and were able to identify the rental car the duo was allegedly using to pick up the money, using license plate reading cameras.
After identifying Paio and Paik as suspects in the case, Lake County deputies notified regional law enforcement agencies.
Elmhurst police eventually spotted the vehicle on Monday and after calling in Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives for help, Paik and Paio were taken into custody.
Following their arrests, deputies said more than $16,000 was found in the vehicle, which they believed to be proceeds from another fraudulent pickup they had allegedly conducted earlier in the day.
“This case is another reminder of how far criminals will go to target and exploit vulnerable victims. I am proud of the work of our detectives, who quickly identified and apprehended these suspects, and I am grateful for the ongoing collaboration we have with our partners across the region< ‘
Both Paio and Paik were held at the Lake County Jail pending a detention hearing set to take place Tuesday morning.
Authorities did not provide booking photos for Paio or Paik.
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