La Puente Woman Accused of Loan Scam Faces Judge

A La Puente woman accused of promising to secure people quick and easy loans but instead taking their credit card information for personal use is facing a 25 felony count criminal complaint, according to authorities.

Si H. Liu, 44, also known as “Katie,” was arrested July 12, at her La Puente. Detectives with the Monterey Park Police Department arrested her on suspicion of credit card fraud, burglary, and grand theft. They continue to look for additional victims.

Liu speaks Mandarin Chinese and has been a U.S. resident for about 10 years, officials said.

Investigators said Liu represented herself as a real estate agent and that victims would contact her through advertisements for easy loans she placed in the Chinese Daily News.

Liu would ask for identification, social security numbers, and credit cards numbers allegedly so she could check their credit, officers said.

But instead of securing loans, officers say Liu used the credit cards to pull cash for herself through a credit card machine that she owned.

Other victims reportedly took her shopping, to stores like Best Buy, where she had them purchase items for her on credit accounts with the promise she would pay them back in cash, investigators said.

Victims allege she never did. Authorities also said Liu made photocopies of identifications and credit cards raising concerns over fraud and identity theft.

Investigators said they have linked her to at least 16 victims in the San Gabriel Valley. The charges in the complaint, filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, range from residential and commercial burglary to theft using an access card, possession of access card Information, and grand theft.

Monterey Police ask anyone who thinks they have been victimized by Liu to call Detective Han at (626) 307-1246.