According to authorities, Turner apparently used the ruse so that he could get acquainted with elderly people and then trick them into parting with their money.

Turner, who lived in Saratoga, was very successful in the hoax, said the Sheriff's Department. Before he was arrested by deputies on Oct. 20, authorities say that he had fleeced at least seven Saratoga residents to the tune of $3 million over the last two years.

Sheriff's deputy Larry Lundin said that he expected the number of people tricked by Turner to rise. "We have identified some other victims," said Lundin. "Most of his victims were elderly women, though there is at least one elderly couple who fell victim to Turner."

Lundin said that Turner circulated in the community by using his unlicensed tree-trimming business called Four Seasons. Sometimes he would go door to door.

He started by befriending the elderly and the vulnerable, said Sheriff's Department officials.

"He is a smooth-talking guy. He would talk about various investments and give people the idea that he was on the brink of big time," said Cindy Seely Hendrickson, deputy district attorney for the county of Santa Clara. "He would say things that would impress people."

Hendrickson said that sometimes he would ask for loans from people, saying that he would invest the money.

Sometimes he asked the people to invest in two companies he said he was operating—Love Concierge, a dating service, and Sweet Givaways, a vending machine company.

Investigators say that Turner and his wife used the money to dine, travel and live it up.

Hendrickson also said that two of Turner's victims were facing foreclosure on their homes. She said victims were lured into mortgaging their homes on the promise that Turner would be making the payments for them.

Sheriff's deputies were investigating a case of unfinished landscaping work in the unincorporated area of Los Altos Hills when they did a background check on Turner. The first complaint about Turner involved exorbitant rates being charged for some landscaping work and for working without a contractor's license.

"We discovered new victims. And the money far exceeded the original amount we were talking about," said Lundin.

Hendrickson said that Turner spent a long time finding out who was alone and who he could tap for money. "There are a lot of victims. He must have had a good sales pitch," she said.

Hendrickson said that though elder fraud was common, she had not come across a case with this level of success. "It was a one-man scheme. We really do not know how many more millions it is going to be. It will be two or three weeks before we get a better sense of Turner's scale of operations."

She said that she hoped that all the victims would come forward. "They should not be embarrassed. All the victims were very intelligent people. They were just duped by a smooth-talking guy," said Hendrickson. She said that neighbors should be vigilant and look out for their neighbors.

Deputy Lundin said that residents should always check identification before they ask a contractor to do any work for them. "They should ask for their business license, their contractor's license and driver's license," said Lundin. "They should also ask for a receipt with the address and phone number of the company. And they should always pay by check."

Lundin said that residents should be wary of contractors or landscapers who say that they will only take cash. "It is a huge red flag."

He also said that this was one of the largest cases of fraud in Saratoga.

Turner, 43, is being held at Santa Clara County jail on $5 million bail.

Anyone with more information about Charles Turner is encouraged to call deputy Larry Lundin at 408.808.4535 or Sgt. Dalia Rodriguez at 408.808.4539. Residents can check the license of a contractor online at www.cslb.ca.gov or by calling 800.321.2752.