State Police arrest Brooklyn man following elder scam investigation

On July 10, 2025, State Police of Saratoga arrested Wei H. Li, 54 of Brooklyn, NY on a warrant for Grand Larceny in the third degree and Scheme to Defraud in the first degree.

On November 5, 2024, at about 7:00 p.m. Troopers received a complaint from an elderly Saratoga County resident who reported being the victim of a scam. The investigation determined the victim was contacted online by a pop-up advising them their computer was compromised. The individual called the number provided in the pop-up and the answering party falsely identified themselves as a representative of Microsoft. The victim was then instructed to transfer funds to a bank account for “safekeeping” while the online threat was “resolved”. They followed the instructions and transferred more than $30,000 into an account allegedly belonging to Li. An arrest warrant was issued by the Malta Town Court on March 12, 2025, for Li as a result of this investigation.

The investigation also discovered an additional victim out of state. Law Enforcement was contacted in Idaho and after contacting the potential victim it was determined they had in fact been the victim of the same scam.  

Li was arrested at his home in Brooklyn, NY, and transported to SP Saratoga for processing. He was then arraigned at the Malta Town Court where he was released on his own recognizance.