Police: Fake U.S. Marshals Gave Maine Man Receipts for $125K

Police say a different courier collected the cash each time, until the next pickup turned out to be a police sting.

A South Portland, Maine, man handed more than $125,000 in cash to people he believed were undercover federal agents, and both times he got a receipt, police say.

Detectives met with the man on Monday, Oct. 26, after he began to suspect the people contacting him weren't who they claimed to be, according to the Portland Press Herald, which cited a department statement. The next day, a 49-year-old Brooklyn man named Jian Chen was arrested in a Lowe's parking lot in Scarborough and charged with theft by deception.

How the fake U.S. Marshals scam worked

It started with a phone call from someone claiming to be with the U.S. Marshals Service, police said. The caller told the man his Social Security number had been compromised and that purchases were being made in his name, WGME reported. To make the story stick, the caller sent photos of badges and credentials. Detectives later determined the images were either AI-generated or stock photos from the internet.

The proposed fix was cash. According to the department, the caller said the only way to stop the crimes and keep his money safe was to hand payments to undercover federal agents. A Yahoo News report adds that the man was told this would help an ongoing federal investigation.

Scams like this are climbing. CBS News Chicago, citing FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center data, reported more than 34,000 government impersonation complaints in 2025, nearly double the count from the year before.

Receipts for the cash

The man met someone he took for an undercover agent twice and handed over large sums, according to police. A different person collected the money each time. Both times, he was given a receipt.

Police have put the loss at more than $125,000. Yahoo News reported that the two payments added up to that figure, and none of the published accounts say how much went over in each handoff. The receipts came from people police say were impersonating federal agents.

At some point the man contacted police. The scammers kept asking for more money, according to the department.

A new face in the Lowe's lot

Detectives worked with the man to set up what the department called a "ruse": another cash payment, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27. A suspect the man had not met before showed up around 5:15 p.m. at the Lowe's on Gallery Boulevard in Scarborough, according to the Maine Wire. Detectives were nearby, watching the exchange.

Police say Chen was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Cumberland County Jail with bail set at $50,000, WGME reported. Police believe he's part of a larger fraud ring that may still be operating in the area.

The home repairs line

In their advisory, police described the playbook they say scammers like these follow. Victims are told to keep quiet so they don't jeopardize the supposed investigation. Some are told bank employees are in on the crime, and are coached to answer questions about large cash withdrawals with an explanation such as home repairs. None of the published accounts say whether this man was given those instructions.

Police say the investigation is active and detectives are working to identify additional suspects. The reports so far don't list a court date for Chen.

Summary

• Accused: Jian Chen, 49, of Brooklyn, New York
• Charge: theft by deception
• Amount: more than $125,000, paid in cash in two handoffs
• Arrest: Oct. 27, 2026, about 5:15 p.m., Lowe's parking lot on Gallery Boulevard, Scarborough, Maine
• Jail and bail: Cumberland County Jail, $50,000 bail (WGME)
• Investigating agency: South Portland Police Department