Second suspect arrested in national fraud case that scammed Whatcom County resident
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Authorities arrested Yang Zhou for involvement in a multimillion fraud scheme.
- Investigators linked jailhouse conversation to stolen items and co-conspirators.
- Both Zhou brothers face felony charges; additional suspects remain unidentified.
Whatcom County authorities made a second arrest in a conspiracy fraud case that may have scammed people across the country out of millions of dollars.
On May 20, California resident Xiaobin Zhou, 55, was arrested by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of scamming a Whatcom County resident out of $100,000 by pretending to be an agent working for “David Freeman” from the Federal Office of the Inspector General.
Zhou was charged with five counts of first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult and two counts of first-degree criminal impersonation for a total of seven felonies.
While in custody, Zhou’s brother, Yang Zhou, 30, visited him at the Whatcom County Jail. Yang spoke with his brother through the jail phone and communication system, which notifies people that their conversation will be recorded, according to court records.
The brothers talked about a variety of topics in Mandarin Chinese, including gold bars, cash, contacting other people, hiring a lawyer and making attempts to bail Xiaobin out of jail. The conversation was transcribed in English for investigators, according to court records.
The scam targeting the Whatcom County resident in April and May involved the victim handing over cash and gold to Xiaobin.
The conversation involved Yang telling Xiaobin the “5128 girls” leaked his address and took his “gold bars and money,” according to records. Yang told his brother he checked the residence to make sure the items were gone, although he did find cash, which is suspected to be from the original scam of the Whatcom County resident, according to the records.
The call also included Yang referencing several people, including someone who may have been Xiaobin’s “previous superior,” according to records. Xiaobin also asked Yang to contact a woman, the records show.
Investigators believe Yang to be involved in the same conspiracy Xiaobin is suspected of being in, along with others who have not been identified at this time, according to court records.
Yang Zhou has been charged with first-degree trafficking of stolen property, a class B felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a gross misdemeanor.
Yang and Xiaobin Zhou have both been bonded out of custody.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
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