Californians scammed Central Florida woman out of nearly $500K, deputies say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Two California residents were taken into custody after an Orange City woman was scammed out of nearly half a million dollars, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.

In a release on Tuesday, deputies identified the pair of suspects as Jason Hellawell, 56; and co-conspirator Ariel Wang, 33.

Per the release, the victim in this case thought she was sending a wire transfer of $487,350 to her accountant for taxes owed.

“In reality, her accountant’s email had been compromised by scammers,” the release reads.

Afterward, detectives managed to track down the two suspects and seized bank accounts, the sheriff’s office reported.

Deputies said that Hellawell was arrested in his home state of California, though Wang traveled to Volusia County on Monday to turn herself in.

Now, Hellawell faces charges of money laundering and grand theft over $100,000. Meanwhile, Wang faces the same charges, along with a count of organized scheme to defraud.

“Additional charges are possible from other jurisdictions as investigations continue,” the release reads.