VENTURA, Calif. — A Bay Area man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly traveling to Ventura County to act as a physical cash courier for a sophisticated tech-support computer scam targeting elderly residents, public safety officials announced.
The major financial crime prosecution was announced by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko following the arrest and court arraignment of the suspect in Ventura County Superior Court.
Authorities identified the defendant as 35-year-old Ze Li (born April 10, 1991), a resident of Fremont, California.
Li was formally arraigned on August 31, 2026, under case number 2026023945, where he entered a plea of not guilty to all felony grand theft, elder abuse, and conspiracy counts.
Fabricated Pornography Charges and the Initial $20,000 Cash Courier Drop
According to court filings and investigative summaries released by the District Attorney's Office, the fraudulent scheme began on August 4, 2026, when an elderly Ventura County resident received an unexpected pop-up notification on his home computer screen instructing him to immediately call a support number for "Microsoft."
When the victim dialed the listed phone number, his call was routed through several unidentified operators before he was connected to an individual claiming to be named "Damian Myers."
The scammer fraudulently informed the senior citizen that a illegal $25,000 transaction had been initiated from his Ventura County Credit Union account to purchase child pornography in China. The scammer falsely claimed that while the transaction had been intercepted, the victim needed to immediately withdraw $25,000 in cash from his credit union to protect his remaining life savings.
Fearing legal jeopardy and financial destruction, the victim followed the scammer's precise instructions. He visited two separate Ventura County Credit Union branches to withdraw $20,000 in physical cash and purchased $5,000 in retail gift cards.
The scammer then instructed the victim to securely package the $20,000 cash, claiming an official "Federal Trade Commission representative" would meet him in person to transport the funds to a secure government vault.
On August 5, 2026, Ze Li allegedly traveled to a designated meeting location in Ventura, accepted the package containing $20,000 in physical currency from the elderly victim, and fled the area. Shortly after the exchange, the victim realized he had been defrauded and filed an official report with local law enforcement.
Police Sting Operation Captures Courier During Second Pickup Attempt
Following the initial cash handoff, the overseas fraudsters continued to contact the elderly victim in an attempt to extract additional money. When the scammer called again on August 26, 2026, the victim immediately alerted local law enforcement.
Detectives with the Ventura Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, working alongside investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, orchestrated an undercover sting operation.
Investigators instructed the victim to play along with the scammer and arrange a secondary cash pickup. On August 27, 2026, detectives lured Li back to a meeting spot in Ventura under the belief that he was collecting an additional $20,000 in cash.
When Li arrived and accepted a dummy package he believed contained $20,000 in currency, undercover officers swarmed the location and took him into custody without incident. Investigators believe Li operated as an organized physical courier for overseas criminal syndicates targeting American seniors.
"Myers allegedly told the victim that someone had made a $25,000 fraudulent charge from his Ventura County Credit Union account to purchase child pornography in China... All of these claims were false," the District Attorney's Office detailed in an official press advisory.
"On August 27, 2026, detectives with the Ventura Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, with assistance from District Attorney’s Office Investigators, conducted an operation in which Li was allegedly lured back to Ventura... Li was taken into custody shortly afterward," prosecutors added.
Formal Criminal Charges and Tech Fraud Warning Indicators
Senior Deputy District Attorney Dominic Kardum, a prosecutor assigned to the District Attorney’s Office Fraud Technology Crimes Unit, is leading the legal prosecution against Li.
According to official court filings, Li faces multiple felony counts under the California Penal Code:
- PC 487(a): Grand Theft (Felony)
- PC 368(d): Theft From an Elder or Dependent Adult (Felony)
- PC 182(a)(1): Criminal Conspiracy (Felony)
- PC 664/487(a): Attempted Grand Theft of Personal Property (Felony)
- PC 664/368(d): Attempted Theft From an Elder or Dependent Adult (Felony)
Additionally, prosecutors filed special aggravating sentencing allegations under California Rules of Court 4.421(a)(3) for targeting a particularly vulnerable victim and 4.421(a)(8) for participating in a crime executed with planning, sophistication, and professional organization.
Law enforcement officials urge all Ventura County residents to discuss computer scam red flags with elderly family members and neighbors:
- Urgency: Scammers demand immediate action ("You must act right now!").
- Secrecy & Isolation: Victims are instructed not to inform family, banks, or police.
- Fear Tactics: Threats of impending arrest, lawsuits, or complete asset forfeiture.
- Unusual Payment Demands: Requests for physical cash pickups, gift cards, wire transfers, gold bars, or cryptocurrency.
Li remains incarcerated at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility on $250,000 bail. His next court date is a formal bail review hearing set for September 4, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
Anyone who suspects they or a family member have fallen victim to a similar computer pop-up or cash courier scam is strongly urged to contact District Attorney Investigator Eric Jensen at (805) 662-1750. Official press statements can be reviewed directly on the Ventura County District Attorney's Office newsroom.