Authorities said Monday they’ve returned the majority of a Pleasant Hill woman’s life savings that were stolen in a cryptocurrency investment scheme nearly four years ago.
In March 2022 the 70-year-old victim lost $350,000 in the scam, after an online suspect convinced her to invest her lifesavings, according to Pleasant Hill police.
“Detective Stephen Vuong began tracking the cryptocurrency, and through extensive investigative efforts and with the assistance of the United States Secret Service, successfully located the majority of the victim’s funds in an online digital wallet,” police said in a news release.
Police monitored the wallet, which was inactive until September 2025. Once it became active, Vuong froze the funds and seized them, police said. The money was then transferred back to the victim and her family on Dec. 30.
“We are happy to be able to return these funds to the victim, and I congratulate Detective Vuong on the outstanding work he put into this case,” Police Chief Scott Vermillion said.
The Pleasant Hill Police Department reminds residents to be wary when approached online for services, and to always protect personal information. Those who feel they have been the victim of a scam should contact the PHPD non-emergency line at (925) 288-4600.
Great work Pleasant Hill Police Department especially Detective Vuong!!!!!!!
Great work by all involved. That is one lucky lady.
So in 3 years they just let the crypto sit in the wallet uninvested? Talk about stupid amateurs they had no idea what to do next with it.
You don’t watch enough Bonnie and Clyde movies! You have to NOT SPEND the money you steal for at least 3 years. lol!
Well they had it almost 4 years..lol
Scam ? Dear PHPD etc.: We PAY the garbage Co to collect our trash, which they take to their land fill, where within only months it starts to produce profitable METHANE GAS.
(( as a side note~within the trash collection cost is tax,tax,tax ~ There’s California’s Integrated Waste Management Fee) ~ local franchise fees, as sometimes 10%, AND carrier surcharges such as Waste Management‘s 3.6% Regulatory Cost Recovery or the 20% “Environmental Charge” often adding 5% to over 30% costs embedded into the garbage bill)) — so you can’t write it off your taxes!
Back to the METHANE, (which fits hand in glove with that “Environmental” TAX!) Within less than 5 years, Landfill Co. can collect and Sell some of that METHANE to the water Co, who uses it to sterilize the water that we then PAY for.
Then we PAY outrageous amount for the city/county pipes-pumps-tanks to move the water to (Central San) to sterilize that same – down the drain – water again, AND sell to us again~~or what isn’t drinker friendly … they drain it to San Pablo Bay….. Remember ~~ this “water treatment” is categorized as a “FEE” , so they can charge the ‘fee’ on top of Property Taxes.
But wait, there’s more 😉 Some of the METHANE is sold to the Power Co to make electricity, which we PAY for. Some of the water we PAY Central San to clean… could also be used to make electricity. (so why is any going into the bay? hmmm.)
I could do new ‘tax v. fee’ scam stories every week… but why bother. I’d just give the elected scammers ideas and ammunition.
She was amazingly lucky! Hopefully she won’t be gullible/ even stupid in the future.
Hats off to law enforcement!
I’m glad she got her money back, and kudos to Detective Vuong. Hopefully she’ll be more cautious in the future. Freezing the funds will do it!
I know someone else who got ripped off in a similar fashion, lot of these scams going on out there. There are no short cuts or sure things.
Fantastic work by Pleasant Hill PD and especially Detective Steven Vuong. These types of cases are very complicated and involved and he should be credited for dealing with it for so long. Were they also able to apprehend the bad guys?