A California man has been charged in Illinois for allegedly trying to scam a local resident out of $25,000.

Li Xu, 31, of Alhambra, California, was arrested in Huntley, a village about 51 miles west of Chicago, on Aug. 22, and subsequently transported to a jail in Kane County to await a court appearance, according to a report from the Huntley Police Department.

On Aug. 26, the police department issued a statement announcing that Li had been charged with two class-3 felonies—“Attempted theft by deception (over $10,000 not exceeding $100,000) and attempted theft by deception (over $5,000, and victim over 60 years old).”

The statement detailed how Li was arrested after the Huntley resident became the target of a scam.

According to the police statement, on Aug. 20, the Huntley resident received a fraudulent email claiming that $499 had been charged to his PayPal account for a subscription renewal. When the resident called the phone number provided in the email, he was persuaded to grant remote access to his computer.

Later, the scammer falsely claimed to have “accidentally” refunded too much money, or $25,000, to the resident’s account, the statement said.

It said the scammer began putting pressure on the resident, trying to have him withdraw the money in cash or send it in cryptocurrency to repay the purported overpayment.

The resident recognized what the police department described as “red flags” and ended the call. He then contacted the Huntley police, and the purported refund turned out to be a transfer between the resident’s own accounts.

Detectives with the police department then worked with the resident to arrange for a cash hand-off.

Police said that when the suspect showed up at the resident’s home, he was taken into custody.

The police department said the case was under further investigation.

“We commend the resident for trusting his instincts and contacting the police,” the police department wrote. “Scammers rely on fear, urgency, and embarrassment to trick victims, and they often target the same person again once they succeed. By reporting suspicious activity early, residents can protect themselves and help police protect others.”

The police department also advised the public to watch for certain red flags that may indicate a similar scam. For example, scammers often pressure victims to act quickly or threaten them with liability, and they may also instruct victims to make payments using cryptocurrency ATMs, gift cards, or cash couriers.

To help the public avoid falling victim to such schemes, the police shared several precautionary tips: Ignore unsolicited phone calls or messages, consult someone you trust before taking any action, and contact law enforcement immediately if anything seems suspicious.

In August, two Chinese nationals were sentenced in California for their involvement in scams.

On Aug. 22, Liu Jiaci, 35, was sentenced in a San Diego federal court to two years in prison for being part of a multinational fraud scheme targeting elderly Americans.

Liu admitted in his plea deal that he traveled throughout California and Arizona from June 2, 2023, to June 9, 2023, to personally collect $202,000 from six elderly victims. He also admitted to impersonating a U.S. Marshal on at least one occasion to further the fraud scheme.

On Aug. 15, Liu Li, 27, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for her role in laundering about $3.5 million from victims via investment scams in so-called pig butchering schemes, whereby fraudsters gain a victim’s trust over time, then deceive them into investing in fake crypto assets.