Two men traveled to Texarkana, Arkansas, expecting to collect cash from someone they believed was an elderly fraud victim. The person waiting for them was an undercover law enforcement officer, and both planned collections ended in arrests.
Miller County sheriff’s deputies arrested Mohamed Faizal Haque, 39, on Sept. 22, 2026. The following day, the 8th South Drug Task Force arrested Lin Chenghao, 45, during another arranged cash pickup connected to the same undercover operation.
The arrests came during a weeklong effort involving Arkansas law enforcement, federal investigators and independent scam investigators who communicated with people allegedly involved in overseas fraud operations. The team also located real victims in several states and intervened in ongoing payment attempts.
Both men were accused of theft offenses involving property valued above $25,000. Their cases proceeded differently after the arrests: Haque was released on a $25,000 bond and formally charged in October, while Lin remained jailed on a $200,000 bond as of the latest court reporting.
A Week of Undercover Calls Brought Two Couriers to Texarkana
The operation ran from Sept. 21 through Sept. 26. Investigators posed as elderly targets while communicating with scammers, allowing conversations to progress until arrangements were made for someone to collect money in person.
The Miller County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the 8th South Drug Task Force, Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the 9th West Drug Task Force. Independent scam investigators Chappy Grey and Bullracksin also participated, together with members of Trilogy Media.
Authorities said both Haque and Lin traveled to Miller County believing they would receive cash from a victim. Instead, the arranged transactions brought them into contact with undercover law enforcement officers.
The investigation also identified actual fraud victims in Texas, Florida, Arkansas and other states. Investigators contacted some of those people or their relatives while payments were being arranged, helping prevent additional funds from reaching the suspected fraud networks.
The team gathered bank account information and addresses allegedly used to receive scam proceeds and shared that evidence with other agencies. Investigators said keeping scammers occupied during undercover calls also reduced the time those individuals could spend contacting other potential victims.
According to Texarkana Today, the operation helped investigators identify international scam organizations associated with millions of dollars in losses across the country. Those wider losses were attributed to the suspected networks, not established as amounts personally collected by Haque or Lin.
Lin’s First Court Appearance Resulted in a $200,000 Bond
Lin was arrested Sept. 23 by the 8th South Drug Task Force. According to his first-appearance court record, he was accused of theft of property valued above $25,000 and unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime.
The court set Lin’s bond at $200,000. The September 25 proceeding included an interpreter participating by telephone, and a public defender was appointed to represent him.
The document schedules his next appearance for Oct. 13, 2026, at 9 a.m. It also records a probable-cause determination associated with the two allegations.
Lin remained in the Miller County jail on the $200,000 bond when Texarkana Today reported on the case Oct. 6. His first-appearance record establishes the accusations and initial bond ruling, but it is distinct from a prosecutor-filed criminal Information.
Prosecutors Filed Two Class B Felony Counts Against Haque
On Oct. 1, prosecutors filed a criminal Information against Haque in Miller County Circuit Court, case 46CR-26-516. The document contains two felony counts associated with the alleged Sept. 22 transaction.
The first count accuses Haque of knowingly taking or exercising unauthorized control over property belonging to a person identified in the filing as a confidential victim. Prosecutors allege that the property was valued above $25,000 and that Haque acted with the purpose of depriving its owner.
The charge was filed under Arkansas Code §5-36-103(b)(1)(A), the provision classifying theft involving property worth at least $25,000 as a Class B felony. The figure is the alleged value specified in the charge, not an independently established loss from the undercover operation.
The second count alleges unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a criminal offense under Section 5-74-105. Prosecutors allege that Haque knowingly used property belonging to someone else, without the owner’s knowledge, to facilitate a predicate criminal offense.
Both counts are classified as Class B felonies. The Information states that each carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both upon conviction.
The filing was submitted by Deputy Prosecutor Jon Beck on behalf of Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell. The charges remain allegations and do not establish that Haque personally directed the overseas fraud operation.
Haque’s $25,000 Bond Allowed His Release Before the October Hearing
Haque was arrested Sept. 22 by Miller County sheriff’s deputies. According to his first-appearance record, the court considered the same two categories of alleged offenses and set bond at $25,000.
The court scheduled Haque’s next appearance for Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. A public defender was appointed during his initial proceedings.
First Arkansas Bail Bonds subsequently issued a $25,000 surety bond on his behalf. The document records a $2,500 premium, representing 10% of the bond amount.
The bond document was signed Sept. 25 and stamped as filed Sept. 29. Texarkana Today reported that Haque was released Sept. 25 after the bonding company posted bail.
Both Haque and Lin were scheduled for further proceedings Oct. 13. Neither man’s arrest or initial court appearance constitutes a finding of guilt. Both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Cash Collection Requests Are a Warning Sign in Elder Fraud
The FDIC Office of Inspector General warns that criminal organizations use money mules to transfer fraud proceeds through financial accounts and to collect physical assets from victims. Those collections can involve cash, precious metals and other valuables.
Some schemes begin with callers impersonating banks, government agencies or technical support representatives. Victims may be instructed to withdraw money, keep the transaction secret and wait for a courier who will collect the funds in person.
Investigators involved in the Texarkana operation also warned that scammers sometimes obtain remote access to victims’ computers and phones, allowing them to monitor activity and maintain pressure during an ongoing fraud attempt.
Anyone receiving instructions to hand cash or valuables to an unfamiliar courier should independently contact the institution the caller claims to represent. A legitimate bank or government agency does not require customers to surrender savings to an unknown person to protect their accounts.
Family members can watch for unexplained large withdrawals, unusual secrecy about money, unfamiliar remote-access applications or relatives saying they have been instructed not to discuss a financial transaction.
Anyone who has already sent funds or arranged a collection should contact their financial institution and law enforcement immediately. Suspected online fraud can also be reported through the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, with relevant communications and payment instructions preserved for investigators.