A Concord man, once a professional in the security field, found himself the victim of a sophisticated scam that drained his life savings and left him facing more than $30,000 in taxes. The scammers preyed on his strong sense of right and wrong, convincing him that his computer had been hacked and used for illegal activities. They provided what seemed like compelling evidence and posed as federal law enforcement officers, even involving unsuspecting couriers—likely rideshare drivers—as part of the elaborate ruse. The scheme began to unravel when a vigilant CVS employee over 400 miles away in Huntington Beach, California, sensed something was amiss.
On March 27, Concord police arrived at the home of Chester Frilich with distressing news.
“They said, ‘You’ve been scammed,'” Frilich recounted.
Frilich explained that the ordeal started earlier that month with a call from someone claiming to be from Xfinity. The caller informed him that his personal information had been used to upload videos to a pornographic website and that they were preparing a report for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
“About an hour later, I got a call from a man named Jason Brown from the FTC, who informed me that I was under investigation for wire fraud,” Frilich said. “He even listed all the credit cards I’ve had over the past 40 years.”
“Agent Brown” told Frilich that someone had rented an apartment in Texas under his name and that the FTC didn’t believe he was responsible for those transactions. To clear his name, they advised moving all his money to a “secure account.”
“The scam continued over several days, with them instructing me to withdraw more money, which happened about five times,” Frilich said.
Frilich received what he believed was a letter from the Department of the Treasury confirming the plan to exonerate him. He packed large amounts of cash and gold into boxes, which were then picked up by couriers who provided a prearranged password. Concord Police believe these couriers may have been unwitting participants, possibly rideshare drivers.
“It doesn’t seem that most of the couriers are involved; they’re somewhat unknowing participants,” said Concord PD Detective Dylan Luciano of the financial crimes unit.
Frilich continued receiving letters that appeared to confirm the transactions until one day, he was told there was no courier available in his area. He was instructed to mail $8,500 in cash to Huntington Beach via UPS.
“I did that, and then the Concord police knocked on my door,” Frilich said.
It turns out the UPS package was delivered to a CVS in Huntington Beach, where two individuals attempted to pick it up using photos of an ID rather than a physical ID.
“The employee became suspicious enough to deny the package,” Detective Luciano said.
Despite the involvement of both Huntington Beach and Concord police, Frilich never recovered the $8,500, and the final package is now missing.
“I lost the $8,500 plus all my life savings,” Frilich said, noting that the total loss amounted to nearly $200,000.
“They had access to my computer and knew everything about me,” he added.
“Having that information is mission-critical for scammers to convince their victims that they are legitimate,” Detective Luciano explained.
In addition to his financial losses, Frilich now faces more than $30,000 in tax liabilities because he cashed out CDs and an IRA. The IRS has informed him that if he cannot pay, they may place a lien on his home.
“It’s frustrating for the victims and frustrating for us because it seems like it’s just one problem after another,” Detective Luciano said.
“The last thing in the world I want is to be out on the street,” Frilich said.
Reflecting on his experience, Frilich believes his biggest mistake was panicking, which clouded his judgment. Concord PD emphasizes that no legitimate law enforcement agency will ever discourage someone from verifying their identity. The scammers had Frilich sign a non-disclosure agreement to prevent him from doing so. Concord PD continues to educate the public about such scams to prevent others from falling victim.