There can be few things more loathsome than attempting to scam a vulnerable elderly person out of their life savings. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of scams because many of them are not savvy to the latest in tech trends, much less how those trends may be leveraged in a scam attempt; some elderly people are, frankly, less quick on the uptake than their younger counterparts. But we are programmed to protect and care for our elders, just as we are the very young.
So, when a Chinese national and "asylum seeker" attempts to rip off an elderly New York woman to the tune of $360,000, the only reaction possible is outrage.
A Chinese national seeking asylum in New York City allegedly attempted to scam an elderly Buffalo-area woman out of $360,000 of her inheritance and life's savings, using an internet fraud scheme while claiming to be a "Microsoft security" representative.
Didi Zou, 39, was arrested in June for conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud and faced a July detention hearing where U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah McCarthy ordered him to remain in custody while the federal case proceeds, The Buffalo News reported Wednesday.
So far, so good; Didi Zou is in the pokey and will remain there. But the discussion around that decision is something of an eye-opener.
Attorney Jeffrey T. Bagley, an assistant federal public defender representing Zou – a temporary work visa-holder seeking asylum in New York City – claimed in court that Zou is an alleged "white-collar" crime defendant and "not one that's a violent one," according to the News.
"So stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from elderly people would not be a danger?" McCarthy asked. "It’s callous, it’s greed-driven, and it had devastating consequences to members of the community."
Zou is alleged to have directed an elaborate scam that led to the unnamed elderly Tonawanda woman giving him, as he posed as an IRS agent, $20,000 and "gold coins/bullion to protect their funds in the ‘IRS Banking’ account," according to the Justice Department.
So, he deserves some kind of consideration for not actually holding a gun to this poor woman's head and taking her savings directly, by fraud instead of by force?
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This is one of the more ridiculous arguments that could possibly be marshaled in this case. There are only three possible ways any financial transaction can be carried out; if it is done by force, that is robbery, if it is done by deceit, that is fraud. Only a free, open, honest exchange is acceptable, but Zou attempted one of the others: Fraud. Now he has to face the music. Yes, he is entitled to a trial, and all the due process that goes along with it. But this is a serious accusation, and the fact that he didn't actually use physical force doesn't mitigate it any.
Also, no matter how this legal case turns out, Didi Zou's claim for asylum should be over at this point. If he has a sentence to serve, let him serve it and then be sent back to China. If there is no sentence, then just send him back. There can be no place in the U.S. for anyone who would attempt something like this.
Editor’s Note: We voted for mass deportations, not mass amnesty. Help us continue to fight back against those trying to go against the will of the American people.
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