According to a post by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on its official Facebook page, three people were recently arrested in connection with extortion schemes involving fraudulent email scams targeting local residents.

Two suspects were arrested on May 2 at a residence in Genoa after allegedly arriving to collect money from a homeowner.

A third arrest occurred on May 7 on Wagon Drive in the Gardnerville Ranchos area under similar circumstances.

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation involving the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tri-Net Narcotics Task Force.

Authorities stated that these types of schemes often begin with emails that appear to come from Microsoft or notify recipients of services they never requested.

The messages escalate to threats if payment is not made.

22-year-old Junyan Wu, of Alhambra, California, and 21-year-old Lirui Diao, of Monterey, California, were the two people arrested in Genoa.

Both of them were booked into the Douglas County Jail on charges of extortion, obtaining money by false pretenses, conspiracy, and exploitation of the elderly.

Each had bail set at $100,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently reviewing their immigration status.

45-year-old Quan Fu Ma, of San Francisco, California, was arrested in Gardnerville.

He was booked on charges of extortion, exploitation of the elderly, and conspiracy. His bail was set at $52,509. Ma is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

In the post, Sheriff Coverley thanked the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, and the Tri-Net Task Force for their cooperation in the case.

In an effort to combat scams and protect the community, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is offering a free Senior Scam Seminar for residents to learn how to safeguard themselves.

You can join them this Friday, May 9, from 10 to 11 a.m., co-hosted with the Better Business Bureau.

The seminar will be held at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center, 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville, Nevada, and will provide valuable information on how to recognize and avoid scams targeting seniors.

(The Douglas County Sheriff's Office contributed to this story.)