Scammers’ Target Gets Target to Help Catch Them

Two Los Angeles women, Ailing Lu and Ji Hyun Lee, both 25, are in jail and facing criminal charges as a result of an IRS scam that netted them thousands of dollars. The women were caught after one of their victims reported the fraud to the police.

The victim said he received a call from one of the women impersonating an IRS Agent. He was told he had to pay $2,200 in Target gift cards, or he would be arrested. The victim complied, and then reported the incident to the police.

Working with Target’s Loss Prevention Team, the police were able to compare surveillance video with footage from a similar investigation in Indiana and determined the suspects in both cases were the same. A search warrant revealed approximately $900,000 in new goods at two locations. Lu faces charges of theft by false pretenses and conspiracy to commit crime and Lee faces charges of conspiracy to commit crime