Man sentenced in Macomb County $80K senior fraud scam, victim gets full restitution 1%
By Brandon Carr4%
7/24/2026, 10:33:06 PM
Keywords: Macomb County
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MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A 28-year-old man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to an $80,000 fraud scheme targeting a Macomb County senior, with the victim receiving full restitution, prosecutors said.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J.
Lucido announced that Guodong Wu pleaded guilty to a reduced charge stemming from the scam, in which a senior was convinced to withdraw her savings and hand the cash to a courier posing as part of a fake bank security operation.
According to prosecutors, the victim was contacted by a scammer who falsely claimed money was being laundered from her USAA bank account.
The caller instructed her to withdraw her savings and give the cash to a courier, who claimed the money would be placed in a secure location.
On Oct. 28, 2025, the victim withdrew $30,000 and met the courier in the parking lot of a Huntington Bank branch in Fraser, authorities said.
The following day, she withdrew another $50,000 and handed it over during a second meeting at a Starbucks in Fraser.
Investigators later linked the case to a separate fraud investigation in another Michigan jurisdiction, where authorities had arrested a suspect involved in a similar scheme.
Evidence recovered during that investigation connected Wu to the Macomb County case, prosecutors said.
Surveillance video from both cash exchanges identified Wu as the courier, and the victim later identified him in a photo lineup.
Wu pleaded guilty April 27, 2026, to false pretenses involving $200 or more but less than $1,000, a one-year misdemeanor, before Macomb County Circuit Judge James M.
Maceroni.
On July 14, 2026, Maceroni sentenced Wu to 116 days in jail with credit for 116 days already served.
In addition to fines and court costs, prosecutors said the plea agreement required full restitution, and the victim has recovered the entire $80,000 she lost.
Prosecutors said Wu is a Chinese national and is currently in the custody of U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lucido said his office continues to prioritize fraud prevention through its Stopping Crimes Against Macomb Seniors (SCAMS) program, which provides educational presentations on common scams targeting older adults.
The prosecutor’s office reminded residents that no legitimate bank, law enforcement agency or government office will ever instruct someone to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier for safekeeping.
Officials urged anyone receiving such a request to immediately contact their local police department.
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