Georgia Deputies Arrest Woman During Sting in Alleged FDIC Impersonation Scam Targeting a Senior

Published Oct. 15, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

The caller said the senior's bank account had been compromised and that federal agents could protect her money. First came gift cards and wire transfers. Then came a $40,000 withdrawal, and a request for $35,000 more, according to FOX 5 Atlanta's report on the case [1].

That last handoff was a setup. Paulding County, Ga., sheriff's deputies arrested Zishan Zeng, 58, of Duluth, during an undercover sting when she allegedly arrived to collect the money, according to FOX 5 and 11Alive [1][2]. 11Alive reported that she is charged with two counts of elder exploitation and two counts of theft by deception and is also facing charges in Douglas County [2].

Important: Zeng has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The account below comes from the Paulding County Sheriff's Office and arrest records as reported by three Atlanta TV stations. We could not find a public statement from Zeng or a defense attorney, and we have not reviewed the charging documents ourselves.

How the alleged scam worked

FOX 5 reported, based on statements from Sheriff Ashley Henson and arrest records [1]:

1. A federal "agent." A caller posing as an agent from the U.S. Treasury convinced the woman that her bank account was compromised and promised to protect her money if she handed over cash.
2. Gift cards and wires. At the scammers' request, she wired money and bought gift cards worth close to $10,000.
3. The cash withdrawal. She then withdrew $40,000, and the scammer asked for an additional $35,000.
4. The pickup. The caller told her someone would come pick up the money and gave her a location to meet.

11Alive reported that the woman believed the people she was handing money to were federal authorities from the FDIC, and that Zeng allegedly used "multiple methods" to take more than $60,000 from her, "including gift cards, fraudulent wire transfers, cash and bitcoin" [2].

How it was caught

Here the two reports differ in some details:

• FOX 5 reported that bank officials noticed the unusually large transactions and alerted the woman's daughter, who contacted law enforcement, and that the woman lost more than $50,000 over three months [1].
• 11Alive reported that the investigation began Oct. 7, 2026, when someone called Paulding County 911 to report that their mother-in-law was being scammed, that the victim had fallen for the phone scam "a week earlier," and that the loss was more than $60,000 [2].
• WSB-TV, citing the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, also reported an Oct. 7 911 call from a relative and a loss of more than $60,000 through gift cards, wire transfers, cash and bitcoin [5].

We have not been able to reconcile the timeline or the total loss; treat both as unconfirmed until court records are available.

Both stations say deputies then arranged the drop. FOX 5 reported that deputies coached the woman to go ahead with the planned $35,000 exchange, and that undercover agents and deputies inside the meeting location took Zeng into custody during the exchange [1].

The person charged

Zishan Zeng, 58, of Duluth, Ga. [2]

• Charges (Paulding County): two counts of elder exploitation and two counts of theft by deception, per 11Alive. FOX 5 described "four counts including charges of theft by deception and exploitation of elder persons" [1].
• Other charges: also facing charges in Douglas County, Ga., according to 11Alive. Their nature was not reported (unconfirmed).
• Custody: being held without bond, WSB-TV reported [5]. Court dates were not reported (status pending).

FOX 5 reported that investigators are searching for a second suspect who has not been publicly named or located. 11Alive said the investigation is ongoing [1][2].

Henson urged residents to be wary of callers posing as federal agencies, describing the hook as calls "where the caller says that your bank has been compromised" [1].

The FDIC will not call you for money

The FDIC has warned for years that scammers use its name, logo and even the names of real employees. Its guidance is blunt [3]:

• "The FDIC DOES NOT send unsolicited correspondence asking for money or sensitive personal information, and we'll never threaten you."
• "No government agency will ever demand that you pay by gift card, wiring money, or digital currency."

The FBI says it received nearly 61,000 complaints of law enforcement or government impersonation scams from January 2025 through July 2026, with reported losses of more than $1.6 billion, and that officials "will never request payment via prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or courier" [4].

Red flags

• A call saying your bank account is "compromised" from someone claiming to be with the FDIC, Treasury or another federal agency.
• Instructions to buy gift cards, send wires or use bitcoin to "protect" your money.
• A request to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier or meet someone at a location.
• Pressure to keep it from family or bank staff.
• Weeks of repeated calls that keep raising the amount.

What to do if you get this call

1. Hang up. If in doubt, call the FDIC at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342) [3], or your bank at the number on your card.
2. Never hand cash to a courier or meet a stranger to deliver money.
3. Tell family and your bank. In FOX 5's account, the bank's alert to a family member set the investigation in motion [1].
4. Call local police right away if a pickup is planned.
5. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. People 60 and older can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

Case status (as of Oct. 15, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 15, 2026	Source
Zishan Zeng, 58, Duluth, Ga.	Paulding County, Ga. (also charges reported in Douglas County)	Arrested in sheriff's sting; charged with two counts of elder exploitation and two counts of theft by deception; held without bond; court dates pending	[1], [2], [5]

Statuses can change. Charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.

Sources

1. "Woman arrested in Paulding County sting after senior scammed out of $50K," FOX 5 Atlanta, Oct. 13, 2026. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/woman-arrested-paulding-county-sting-after-senior-scammed-out-50k
2. Ontaria Woods, "Duluth woman arrested for allegedly stealing over $60K from elderly woman in scam," 11Alive, Oct. 14, 2026. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/duluth-woman-arrested-allegedly-stealing-over-60k-elderly-woman-scam/85-b0246e69-3a0d-4757-bf51-c1b288bd0749
3. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, "Scammers Pretending to be the FDIC," FDIC Consumer News, March 2020 (last updated Aug. 19, 2026). https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/march2020.html
4. 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
5. "Woman accused of swindling elderly victim out of $60K in Paulding County," WSB-TV Channel 2, Oct. 14, 2026. https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/paulding-county/woman-accused-swindling-elderly-victim-out-60k-paulding-county/YTPE77KISVAE3MMQUIF2L4KIVQ/

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