Federal agents have joined the search for a missing 74-year-old Southern California man whose disappearance is being treated as suspicious after more than $1 million vanished from his accounts.
FBI investigators are working alongside the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in the case of Naiping Hou, who was reported missing by family members on May 4, 2025, KTLA reported.
His son, Wen Hou, said the last time he saw his father was during a fishing trip in March of last year.
“He was in a very good mood,” Wen told the outlet. “He caught a lot of fish. His friends were there, too. He was very happy.”
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Weeks later, the family grew concerned after receiving unusual text messages from Naiping’s phone, which Wen now believes may have been sent by someone else.
“[Always saying] he’s tired or he’ll call me later, just reasons that were strange,” he told the outlet. “He had very short responses and didn’t share photos anymore over the course of those couple of weeks.”
The situation escalated when friends checked on Naiping’s home and found it empty. The interior had been repainted and cleared out, and his vehicles were gone.
Authorities later uncovered what they described as “extensive fraudulent transactions” tied to his bank accounts around the time he disappeared.
“His money was also gone,” Wen said. “We were able to track the financial transactions. More than $1 million was withdrawn from his account to purchase physical gold online.”
Investigators believe someone may have impersonated Naiping using his phone while draining his finances.
Family members suspect he may have been abducted, pointing to the sudden disappearance, financial activity and attempts to sell his property.
Law enforcement has not confirmed a motive but says the case remains active. The FBI joined the investigation in recent weeks as authorities continue to search for clues.
Naiping is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 170 pounds, with dark hair, dark eyes and a birthmark on his upper left chest.
His family is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts and is urging anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
