Man accused of scamming elderly San Francisco Bay Area couple out of $28,000

Authorities in Sonoma County say a man recently arrested in connection with a financial scam that cost an elderly couple over $25,000 is part of a larger scheme targeting older adults.

On May 29, a sheriff's deputy responded to a report of fraud involving an elderly couple who said they had been manipulated into handing over approximately $28,000.

The victims said that they had been called repeatedly by unknown people claiming to be a U.S. Customs officer. The caller told them a family member had been detained, which was untrue, and demanded money for legal expenses.

Deputies said the caller instructed the victims to make a series of wire transfers, withdraw cash, and transport it to couriers in locations throughout Sonoma County.

Investigators with the sheriff's office determined that the scheme was familiar to them - matching a growing fraud trend commonly referred to as a "courier scam" in which suspects impersonate government officials, attorneys, or law enforcement to pressure victims into making immediate cash payments.

Deputies began watching the couple's residence after the suspects told the victims that a courier would arrive at their home. Around 5:30 a.m. on May 30, the victim called the deputy and informed him that there was an unknown man knocking on their front door.

The deputy arrived on the scene and spoke to the suspect, 40-year-old Marco Antonio Garcia-Hernandez of Los Banos, who told deputies he had been instructed through text messages and WhatsApp communications to travel to Sonoma County and collect a package from the victim's home.

Investigators believe Garcia-Hernandez was acting as a courier within a larger organized fraud operation targeting elderly victims.

Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant. Deputies said he is being held without bail.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited phone calls demanding money and provided several tips to stay safe from scams.

• Legitimate agencies will never demand immediate payment in cash
• Never provide money or financial information to unknown individuals
• Be suspicious of callers creating urgency or demanding secrecy
• Report suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.