(File photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Sewickley Township, PA) According to a release from the New Sewickley Township Police Department, on Friday, September 5th, 2025, the New Sewickley Township Police Department received a report of a computer scam from a New Sewickley Township resident. That resident made a statement that a pop up appeared on their computer’s home screen which locked their computer. After being advised to call Microsoft Support to unlock their computer, that resident got advised that they would have to make a payment in cash to a Federal Agent for subscription services provided and to have their computer unlocked and that person was on that call for several hours. Almost $25,000 in cash from a bank account was withdrawn and an individual pretending to be a Federal Agent arrived at the residence of this resident and collected the money from that resident. Individuals that pretended to be from both Microsoft and the bank of that resident were on the call with that resident was on for another two hours. Thirty-five-year-old Xinhua Chen, an undocumented immigrant from China, was identified by that resident as the fake Federal Agent that took this resident’s money and his car was identified by that resident as well. It was learned that Chen was taken into custody on Friday, September 12th, 2025 by both the Pennsylvania State Police and the Aliquippa Police Department  from an investigation that was similar to the investigation that the New Sewickley Township Police Department. According to that same release from the New Sewickley Township Police Department, Chen was charged by the New Sewickley Township Police Department with Theft by Unlawful Taking graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, Theft by Deception graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, Theft by Extortion graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, Receiving Stolen Property graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, Criminal Use of a Communication Facility graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, Conspiring to commit Unlawful Use of a Computer graded as a Felony of the 3rd degree, and Impersonating a Public Servant graded as a Misdemeanor of the 2nd degree. Chen is in the Beaver County Jail and is being held there without bond as a result of charges that were filed against him by the Pennsylvania State Police and the City of Aliquippa Police Department and he is also being held because of a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer as a result of that. No officer that is legitimate from any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency will ever come to their residence and demand or request payment in cash is what the New Sewickley Township Police Department wants you to know, and that if this happens, immediately call 911, and contact your local agency of law enforcement that provides service to where you reside if you got victimized in a matter that is similar to what Chen did. During this ongoing investigation into the incident with Chen, the New Sewickley Township Police Department wants to thank the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the City of Aliquippa Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Hopewell Township Police Department, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Detective Bureau for the assistance they provided.