Kai Chun Hu Charged After Chanhassen Gold Pickup Sting in Fake FTC Tech-Support Scam

Published Oct. 16, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

A Carver County criminal complaint says a Chanhassen, Minnesota, resident was pushed in late September 2026 to convert $91,825 into gold after fake Microsoft and Federal Trade Commission callers claimed her accounts had funded crimes. When a courier arrived Oct. 2 at Fido’s Pantry in Chanhassen to collect the metal, deputies arrested Kai Chun Hu, 24, who is charged with aiding and abetting theft by swindle, according to court records reported by FOX 9 [1]. The complaint was filed Oct. 5, 2026 [1].

Important: Hu has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The account below summarizes allegations in the Carver County complaint as reported by FOX 9. We could not find a public statement from Hu or a defense attorney.

How the scam allegedly worked

According to the criminal complaint described by FOX 9 [1]:

1. Fake Microsoft alert. On Sept. 28, the woman reported computer alerts showing a number that appeared to be for Microsoft. After she called, a man identifying himself as Henry Harvin gained remote access and claimed the machine showed a purchase of child pornography.
2. Fake FTC transfer. She was transferred to a man identified as Kamp Parker, who claimed to be from the FTC. He said about $300,000 had been removed from an account in her name and used for child pornography, firearms and sex trafficking.
3. “Protect the money” in gold. Parker told her she could be treated as an accomplice and needed to move $90,000 to $120,000 into gold at two locations. She tried to convert $91,825, received gold from one store and gave the second store a check for the rest before realizing it was a scam.
4. Investigator steps in. An investigator had her contact the suspect again. The caller said a process had started for a new Social Security number. Photos from a gold seller showed about $50,000 in gold coins and another group worth about $30,000 that were sent to the caller before a courier pickup was set for Oct. 2.
5. Passcode handoff. On Oct. 2 the caller told her to write specific words on a receipt, stay on the phone and meet at Fido’s Pantry with an arranged passcode. An investigator posed as the woman. Hu arrived, identified himself as “Mike,” gave the passcode and was arrested [1].

The FBI has warned that government impersonators often tell victims to buy precious metals and hand them to couriers, and that serial-number or passcode “passwords” are a common verification trick [2][3].

What Hu allegedly told deputies

The complaint says Hu told investigators he is from Taiwan, was visiting Atlanta and came to Minnesota after a friend in Taiwan contacted him on Telegram, told him to “pick up an item” and sent money for his flight. He said the friend later deleted the messages and that he stayed on the phone with that person until the planned handoff [1].

Those statements are allegations and interview claims recounted in the complaint; they have not been tested at trial.

The person charged

Kai Chun Hu, 24 [1]

• Charge: one count of aiding and abetting theft by swindle (Carver County, Minn.).
• Arrest: Oct. 2, 2026, at Fido’s Pantry in Chanhassen.
• Complaint filed: Oct. 5, 2026.
• Case number: 10-CR-26-984 (Carver County District Court) [4].
• Next hearing: omnibus hearing set for Oct. 19, 2026, before Judge Eric J. Braaten, per the court’s calendar [4]. Plea not reported (status pending).
• Callers “Henry Harvin” and “Kamp Parker”: names used on the phone; whether those are real identities is unconfirmed, and no public charges against the callers were described in the FOX 9 report.

Red flags

• Pop-up or alert telling you to call “Microsoft,” Apple or the FTC. Hang up and use a number from the company’s official site.
• Claims that your computer shows illegal purchases and that you must move money or buy gold to avoid arrest.
• Instructions to convert savings to gold or crypto and hand them to a courier with a passcode.
• Pressure to stay on the phone while driving to a meetup or gold dealer.
• Telegram or overseas “friends” recruiting you to pick up packages for pay—classic courier recruitment.

What to do if you’re targeted

1. Hang up and call local police. In this case, a report to the sheriff’s office led to a controlled handoff.
2. Do not buy gold, gift cards or crypto because a caller claiming to be a federal agent told you to.
3. Uninstall remote-access tools a caller had you install, and contact your bank.
4. Report to the FBI at ic3.gov. People 60 and older can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-372-8311 [2].
5. If you were asked to be a courier, stop and contact police—couriers can face felony charges even if they claim they did not make the phone calls.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Kai Chun Hu, 24	Carver County, Minn.	Arrested Oct. 2, 2026; complaint filed Oct. 5 charging aiding and abetting theft by swindle; omnibus hearing set Oct. 19, 2026	[1], [4]

Charges are allegations. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. FOX 9 Staff, “Chanhassen gold scam: Courier charged after $91,825 attempt,” FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Oct. 10, 2026 (citing Carver County District Court complaint filed Oct. 5). https://www.fox9.com/news/chanhassen-gold-scam-courier-charged-after-91825-attempt
2. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Scammers Use Couriers to Retrieve Cash and Precious Metals from Victims of Tech Support and Government Impersonation Scams,” Alert I-012924-PSA, Jan. 29, 2024. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240129
3. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes,” Alert I-091726-PSA, Sept. 17, 2026. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260917
4. Minnesota Judicial Branch, Carver County District Court calendar, State v. Kai Chun Hu, No. 10-CR-26-984 (accessed Oct. 16, 2026). https://mncourtsdocs.courts.state.mn.us/Documents/Calendars/1/carver/dailyCalendar.pdf

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