Bizarre Fake Gold Scam In Fairfax County: Police

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Police are warning Fairfax County residents to be on the lookout for a bizarre scam involving buried jars of gold medallions and Buddha statues.

Police say a Fairfax County man has been conned $9,000 after con artists targeted him with "an elaborate scam," and it appears to be a growing problem in the local Chinese community, according to a report from the Fairfax County Police Department.

"The con men claim to have discovered a sealed jar while working on a construction site with gold medallions, gold Buddha statues, and documents claiming the gold was buried around 1920," the report states. "They give the victim a small piece to have tested, which is actually authentic gold. The schemers then ask for cash in exchange for the gold, saying they need the money to get back to China. We want to get the word out about this to prevent future crimes. Our detectives say these scammers seem to be very organized."

Police have arrested three people in connection with the scam in Montgomery County, Md.: 49-year-old Xiaoping Yang, 51-year-old Yinhui Huang, and 45-year-old Yueping Zhu.

Images via FCPD