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A State College man who tried to con a Cummings Township couple out of money in their bank account faces charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Renze Luo, 22, was arrested following a recent call to 911, according to Det. Jordan Mahosky of Lycoming Regional Police Department.
The police responded to the victims' residence on Thursday afternoon for a report of a suspicious person asking for a large sum in U.S. currency, according to the arrest affidavit.
The victim said earlier that day she and her husband received a message on their computer. It indicated their computer was hacked and directed them to call a telephone number.
When the number was called, a man with an accent identified himself as Ronnie Chase. Chase said their bank accounts had been hacked and they would need to withdraw all of their money and provide it to a "federal agent" who would use a code word "black."
Chase remained on the telephone with the couple throughout the day. At one point in the conversation, Chase directed them to walk outside and they saw an Asian man. He was standing outside and wearing a black shirt, black pants, black sneakers and a blue surgical mask, police said.
Suspicious when he did not produce any identification, the man walked away from the home.
Luo was stopped later after police issued a bulletin for police in Lycoming and Clinton counties. Luo provided Woodward Township police in Clinton County with an expired Pennsylvania driver's license. Blue surgical masks were observed in the vehicle. Luo told police he was a student at Penn State University and was "looking around the area" and was positively identified by the couple and arraigned on the criminal complaint with District Judge Denise L. Dieter.