Police Recover $350,000 Stolen from Elderly Pleasant Hill Resident in Cryptocurrency Scam
Pleasant Hill, CA — Nearly four years after a 70-year-old Pleasant Hill woman was victimized in a high-dollar cryptocurrency scam, local authorities have successfully recovered most of the stolen funds, officials announced.
The victim came forward in March 2022, reporting that she had lost $350,000 after being deceived by an unknown individual posing as a male online. The suspect convinced her to invest her life savings in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme.
According to the Pleasant Hill Police Department, the investigation was led by Detective Steven Vuong, who meticulously tracked the digital trail of the cryptocurrency transactions. With assistance from the United States Secret Service, Detective Vuong was able to locate what authorities described as the “majority” of the stolen funds stored in a digital wallet.
Detective Vuong monitored the wallet’s activity for several years. After the wallet remained inactive for an extended period, it unexpectedly became active in September 2025. Authorities seized and froze the funds at that time.
“This is an excellent example of good policework yielding a very positive outcome,” Pleasant Hill Police Chief Scott Vermillion said in a statement. “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.”
The recovered funds were returned to the victim and her family on December 31, 2025. Details about the suspect remain limited, and police have not made any arrests at this time. Law enforcement officials urge anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized in similar scams to contact the Pleasant Hill Police Department at 925-288-4600. This case highlights the ongoing risks posed by cryptocurrency scams, especially targeting elderly individuals. Police continue to stress the importance of vigilance and caution when approached online with investment opportunities.
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Contact Information:
Pleasant Hill Police Department
Phone: 925-288-4600
Reported by Tim Fang, Digital News Producer, CBS Bay Area
Published January 12, 2026