Santa Barbara County deputies nab scam artist targeting seniors

August 6, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

A 31-year-old scam artist is in jail after she misspelled words in a text message to a 77-year-old Goleta woman she was allegedly targeting.

On Monday, the 77-year-old woman received a call from someone claiming to be from Amazon, alerting her to supposed unauthorized charges on her account and fabricated bank accounts opened in her name. The victim was then informed she would be transferred to a Federal Trade Commission agent, who instructed the victim to withdraw $30,000 in cash from her bank accounts to resolve the issues.

The scammer remained on the line while the victim made withdrawals at two Bank of America branches. The scammer demanded photos of the cash, receipts and a sealed box containing the money.

Growing suspicious after noticing misspellings in an email from the alleged agent, the victim contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office while the scammer was still on the call. Deputies coordinated with the victim, who agreed to assist in apprehending the suspect.

A female suspect, later identified as Caihong Lei, lingered near the victim’s residence before retrieving the box. Detectives apprehended Lei as she walked toward her Mercedes SUV. Detectives assisted the victim with returning the $30,000 to her bank account.

Deputies booked Lei into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges related to grand theft by false pretense and conspiracy to commit fraud. She remains in jail with her bail set at $500,000.

Additional scams in Goleta and Montecito involved similar tactics, with victims coerced into withdrawing large sums of money under false pretenses. Investigations into these incidents are ongoing.