10/28/2026
NEWS RELEASE - Telephone Fraud Arrest (Oct. 28, 2026)
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – On October 26, 2026, South Portland Police Department (SPPD) detectives met with a resident who believed he had become the victim of a phone scam and had been defrauded over $125,000. An individual claiming to be an agent from the United States Marshal’s Service contacted the victim by the phone last week. The alleged agent sent the victim photographs of badges and credentials, which police later determined to be AI-generated or stock internet images. The victim was told that his social security number had been compromised, and purchases were being made under his name. The alleged agent told the victim that the only way to stop the crimes and keep his finances safe was to provide undercover federal agents with cash payments. The victim was convinced this was a legitimate investigation, and proceeded with the requests.
The victim informed SPPD detectives that on two separate occasions, he met with someone whom he believed to be an undercover federal agent and turned over large cash payments. The victim was even issued receipts for these payments. It was a different person the victim met with on each of the two occasions. When the victim realized things did not appear right, he contacted police. The initial investigation quickly proved that this was a scam.
The scammers continued to contact the victim, requesting more money. Working in conjunction with the victim, SPPD detectives set up a ruse and helped organize another cash payment to occur on October 27, 2026. At approximately 5:15 PM that day, a new scammer arrived to meet the victim at the Lowe’s parking lot on Gallery Boulevard inScarborough. Detectives were nearby keeping watch on the interaction, and the suspect was quickly apprehended without incident.
South Portland Police arrested 49-year-old Jian Chenfrom Brooklyn, New York, and charged him with Theft by Deception, class B. He was taken to the Cumberland County Jail and held on $50,000 cash bail pending his arraignment on October 28, 2026.
SPPD believes Mr. Chen is part of a large-scale fraudring, and the investigation into identifying and locating other participants is ongoing.
This is a well-documented federal government impersonation scam. There appears to be a recent uptick in these types of scams in our area lately, with numerous victims losings tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. The South Portland Police Department would like to remind community members that:
- No legitimate lawenforcement agency will ever call, text, or email an individual demanding cashpayments.
- They will not request that you to use gift cards to pay overdue fines or taxes over the phone.
- No local or federal law enforcement agency will request personal information, financial information, or bank account information over the phone.
The scammers will often tell their potential victims not to tell anyone about their requests, as this would jeopardize their “investigation.” A common tactic they use is to convince targets that bank employees are in on the fabricated crime. They direct the person to lie if a bank employee questions their large cash withdrawals and say the money is being used for homerepairs, etc.
If you feel as though you are being targeted:
- Hang up immediately!
- Never give outpersonal information.
- Report the issue to your local police and report it using the Federal Trade Commission Fraud Portal at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
