Canadian man arrested, suspected in attempted phone scam

LYNDEN, Wash. — Lynden Police arrested and booked a 41-year-old Canadian man into the Whatcom County Jail on September 20th. He now faces 2 felony charges of 1st-degree theft in Whatcom County Superior Court.

The charges are the result of a Lynden Police investigation into a report that a Lynden resident who had sought computer assistance by phone was being scammed.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the court, the resident followed instructions on his smartphone advising him to call a phone number for assistance with a problem that appeared to be happening. The “support person” who answered requested and received remote access to the man’s computer supposedly to make repairs. He then informed the resident he had overpaid for a service and was due a $100 refund.

Using funds from another bank account belonging to the resident, the person on the phone appeared to accidentally deposit $17,000 into the resident’s checking account. Thinking this was an honest error, the resident complied with directions to withdraw the money from the bank and await a visit from someone who would pick up the cash.

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In the meantime, family members became aware of the situation, intervened and called 911.

When the “support person” told the resident the person was there to pick up the cash, a person began knocking on the resident’s door. The resident did not answer the door and the person, identified as Zhijia Ma, was at the end of the resident’s driveway when police officers arrived.

Officers learned Ma was driving a rental car from Portland and he had flown from Vancouver BC to Portland days earlier. He granted consent for officers to look in the car but they stopped after bank receipts and a large amount of cash were discovered. The car was impounded and a search warrant applied for.

Ma told officers he had done nothing wrong and requested a lawyer. He was arrested and booked into the jail.

Ma made a preliminary court appearance on September 23rd where bail was set at $30,000 bond or $3,000 cash. He was released from custody on September 24th after posting the required cash bail.

Ma is scheduled to be arraigned in court again on October 4th.