BRANFORD, Conn. — A New York man part of a scheme that sends unsolicited "Hello" text messages that sometimes pop up on our phones has been arrested after scamming someone in Connecticut, according to Branford police.
Branford police arrested Wenije He, 31, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y. on Friday after he traveled to Connecticut as a courier to collect a large amount of cash that police believe would have been put into a criminal enterprise.
Police said this scam stemmed from someone sending text messages to an unsuspecting person. These messages usually start with "Hello" and no other context. Scammers do this to initiate conversations with people and build fake online relationships, which can lead them to manipulate money out of the victim after gaining their trust.
He is facing larceny and phone fraud charges and is being held on a $200,000 bond. Police are working to track down others involved in this specific scam.
Police are now warning residents about these types of scams. Police said to ignore any unsolicited text messages, including "Hello" texts that come from an unknown number.
Text messages that appear to be sent to you by mistake can also be scams. Scammers expect the victim to reply "Sorry, wrong number" to get the conversation started. It's encouraged to ignore these text messages as well.
Never send money, give personal information or meet up with someone you do not know, police advise.
Anyone who sees suspicious activity is asked to call the Branford Police Department at 203-481-4241.
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