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Los Angeles Times
16-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Creepy texts offer clues in disappearance of SoCal grandpa linked to crypto fortune
Weird texts were the first clue that something sinister had happened to an elderly Rancho Cucamonga man linked to a vast cryptocurrency fortune. They began with robotic responses in a family group chat, included an uncharacteristic refusal to visit his grandkids and were followed by complete silence. Now, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is investigating the mysterious disappearance of 74-year-old Naiping Hou, father of noted cryptocurrency investor Wen Hou. Detectives believe that someone used the elder Hou's cellphone to impersonate him. Extensive fraudulent transactions were also made using his bank account around the time of his disappearance, according to the Sheriff's Department. Wen Hou said that more than $1 million was siphoned from his father's savings and used to purchase gold bars online. The younger Hou believes his father has been kidnapped and is personally offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information that leads to his father's return or identifies those responsible for his disappearance. 'We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,' Wen Hou told The Times. 'We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn't find these clues earlier.' Wen Hou last saw his father in March when they rented a boat at the San Pedro Pier and went on a family fishing trip. The bizarre texts began in April, but it wasn't until Naiping Hou's birthday on May 3 that his son began to suspect someone else was controlling his father's phone. The elder Hou had declined via text to come visit his son and grandchildren at their Las Vegas residence on his birthday, so Wen Hou overnighted him a traditional gift of handmade Chinese noodles. Whoever was controlling his phone refused to answer any calls on the birthday and, instead of thanking Wen Hou for the gift, simply texted at 9:18 p.m.: 'Yes I receive it.' The following morning, Wen Hou asked family friends to go check in on his father in Rancho Cucamonga. They found the noodle package sitting on the stoop and made an even more shocking discovery inside. The home was stripped of all its furniture and had a shoddy new paint job on the interior walls, Wen Hou said. His father's cars were missing from his garage, and the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Wen Hou reported his father's disappearance to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on May 4. The elder Hou's wife was visiting family in China when he is believed to have gone missing, according to his family. While abroad she received a text from Hou's phone telling her to cancel her flight home, saying that he would come join her in Asia. Detectives say they are currently following several leads but are unable to share further information as the investigation is ongoing. They are asking the public to keep an eye out for the 5-foot-7 Asian male, who has black hair, black eyes, a birthmark on his left upper shoulder and weighs around 170 pounds. They are also seeking information about a silver Toyota Yaris in connection to Hou's disappearance. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Det. Vanayes Quezada at (909) 890-4848. Frustrated by the lack of updates in the investigation, Wen Hou launched a website this week dedicated to raising awareness about his father's disappearance. The family is asking the public to share information via text, WhatsApp or Signal to their personal tip line at (213) 564-9366. 'We're really sad and it feels terrible to wait and very devastating to experience this,' said Wen Hou. Although Wen Hou doesn't know who is behind the possible crimes against his father, he fears that contractors who performed work on Hou's home at the beginning of the year may have preyed on his father or even kidnapped him. 'I hope this serves as a caution for elderly people,' he said, adding that his father's disappearance has opened his eyes to how common it is for criminals to take advantage of the elderly. Wen Hou is a well-known hedge fund and cryptocurrency investor who serves as the chief investment officer at Coincident Capital. In 2021, he spent $9.7 million on a Bel-Air home, according to reporting from the Real Deal. In 2022, he and his wife gifted $1.1 million in cryptocurrency to the USC Keck School of Medicine to support research on heart disease. Wen Hou credits much of his success to the lessons taught to him by his father, who was born in the Shaanxi province of China and immigrated to the San Gabriel Valley in pursuit of a better life for his children. 'My journey has been a long one, and it started with my father's decision to move to the U.S.,' Hou told USC in 2022. 'I am thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to thrive in the U.S. and allowing me to reach my potential, which has resulted in this gift.' Through shrewd business decisions, Naiping Hou did well financially and retired comfortably — achieving what Wen Hou considers the American dream, he said. The elder Hou is a family man and enjoys hobbies such as ping-pong, woodworking and fishing.
Fox News
16-07-2025
- Fox News
Police investigate 'suspicious disappearance' of elderly man linked to cryptocurrency fortune
An active investigation is underway in Southern California for a missing man that police are calling a "suspicious disappearance." Investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department released new information in the hopes of locating Naiping Hou, a 74-year-old resident of Rancho Cucamonga. He was reported missing by his family on May 4, 2025, according to authorities. Investigators discovered "extensive fraudulent activity" in Hou's bank accounts around the time he disappeared. Officials said his cell phone was also used by unknown individual(s) to impersonate him in communications with family members. Authorities are now suspecting he may have been abducted. Family members of Hou told KABC that they believe the incident could be connected to their financial success in the cryptocurrency industry, and are offering a $250,000 reward in hopes of securing his safe return. "I miss him dearly," said Wen Hou, referring to his father, Naiping Hou. "He's always been a guiding presence in my life." Wen Hou, who the outlet reported amassed significant wealth through cryptocurrency and previously donated $1.1 million to USC's Keck School of Medicine for heart disease research, suspects someone may have stolen his father's identity and drained over $1 million from his bank accounts. He also believes the person responsible has been pretending to be his father, using text messages to communicate with the family under false pretenses. "It's surreal to think someone could be impersonating my dad through text," Wen Hou explained. According to Wen Hou, the strange series of events may have started in January 2025, when his father was overseeing home renovations following a severe water leak. "He didn't raise any red flags at the time. We knew he was getting quotes from various contractors," Wen Hou recalled. "He was temporarily living in an apartment covered by insurance, so he wasn't hands-on with the daily construction work." After the house was repaired in March, Nai Ping joined Wen and a group of friends for a fishing trip, where everything "seemed normal," until things took a dramatic turn. "Something really bizarre is going on," Wen Hou said. "The place was completely cleared out. No people, no vehicles, not even garbage left behind." The family later learned that several of Naiping Hou's bank accounts had been emptied, with over $1 million missing. "Funds were being transferred out to purchase gold online," Wen Hou explained, adding that his father's accounts were also used to buy cryptocurrency and large gold bars. "He's not tech-savvy at all, so I don't know how he could've done any of that himself." "We're really worried, and we really want my dad back," he continued. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is asking the public for help to find Naiping Hou. He is described as an Asian male, 5'7" tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds. He has black hair, black eyes, and has a birthmark on his left upper shoulder. Additionally, investigators are seeking information about a silver Toyota Yaris in connection with Nai Ping Hou's disappearance. "There's been a significant amount of unauthorized activity in his bank accounts," Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department told KABC. "We're deeply concerned for his well-being and focused on bringing him home safely." According to a website dedicated to the search for Naiping Hou, he is originally from China and is a husband, father, and grandfather who is semi-retired. He is said to spend his time "woodworking, playing ping pong at a local recreation center, and staying active in his community." "The Hou family has long been committed to hard work, family values, and giving back—making generous contributions to education and public safety organizations as part of their dedication to helping others," a statement on the website reads. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Detective Vanayes Quezada, Specialized Investigations Division, at (909) 890-4848. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Family members of missing Rancho Cucamonga man believe he was kidnapped
As authorities continue searching for the 74-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man missing since May, family members now believe that he was likely kidnapped by someone. "He's kind of a guide to my life, for a very long time," said Wen Hou. "I just want my dad back." His father, Nai Ping Hou was reported missing by family on May 4, but they say things have been different since March, when he became unusually detached in their family group chat. "Over time, when I ask if he wants to come meet up with us, you know, I have young children so it's harder for me to travel to him, he would say either he's tired, or 'I'll call you later,' or 'I can't meet,'" Hou said. "But, he's a semi-retired grandpa right now, so that's really strange." Hou was eventually able to get some friends to check on his father. They stumbled upon a harrowing scene, finding his home of 20 years completely empty and poorly repainted. "Not even furnitures or utensils, which is extremely bizarre," Hou said. "That's when I knew, whoever I was talking to was not hte person living at the house." It was then that they contacted San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department investigators, who recently confirmed that someone was using Nai Ping's phone to impersonate him and made extensive fraudulent transactions with his bank account. Hou says that on top of all of that, they drained his father's entire retirement savings and used it to purchase gold bars online. "Over a $1 million worth of gold bars, which is extremely strange because he has never bought gold in his life," he said. "He's not an online-savvy person." Hou is though, and it's that role in the cryptocurrency investing world that has him wondering if there's a connection because of it. "It's possible, I'm not sure if they looked up my profile," he said. "Typically I would think if you're a big player you would get a ransom." Family has now set up a tip website where they're offering a $250,000 reward for information that leads to Nai Ping's return or an arrest. They've also hired private investigators to further search efforts.
