California Man Allegedly Posed As IRS Agent To Defraud Victim Out Of $20,000, And May Have More Victims

A California man is facing charges for allegedly posing as an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent in order to defraud a victim of around $20,000, authorities said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said that on May 1, deputies responded to a residence on the 2300 block of Kips Korner in Norco regarding a fraud investigation. The victim reported that an unknown suspect posing as an IRS officer fraudulently told them their financial accounts had been compromised, as part of a scheme to extort around $20,000.

The suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Ziquan Ou of Arcadia, contacted the victim requesting additional funds. The victim agreed to pay, and Ou agreed to pick up the money from the victim’s residence.

Deputies were at the residence when Ou arrived to pick up the money, and he was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said. A search warrant executed on his vehicle revealed a firearm, narcotics, and multiple identification cards.

Ou was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on “numerous” fraud-related charges as well as possession of narcotics.

The sheriff’s office believes there may be additional victims. Investigators are asking anyone with information or who believes they may be a victim to contact Deputy Acosta at the Norco Sheriffs Station by calling (951) 270–5673.