Washington: A Chinese national has pleaded guilty in a sweeping $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted around 2,000 elderly victims across the United States, with investigators linking the operation to India-based scam call centers.
Jiandong Chen, also known as “Little Tiger”, admitted in federal court that he played a role in the multinational conspiracy that operated between 2021 and 2023, according to the US Attorney’s Office in San Diego.
Prosecutors said the network used technical support scams, bank impersonation, government impersonation and refund frauds to deceive victims, most of whom were in their 70s and 80s.
Victims received unsolicited phone calls, emails and pop-up messages directing them to contact numbers that were secretly linked to call centers in India, investigators said.
Once victims made contact, members of the conspiracy used “social engineering techniques to build trust,” often persuading them to download remote desktop software. This allowed scammers to access their computers and carry out fraudulent transactions.
A commonly used tactic was the “refund scam”. Victims were told they were owed a small refund, but during the process were falsely shown an “over-refund”. They were then instructed to return the excess amount through wire transfers or cash sent via express mail.
“In reality, the victims had not received any money,” prosecutors said.
After gaining trust, the network directed victims to send large sums of cash to operatives within the United States, including locations in Southern California and Nevada. Funds were delivered through express mail packages or collected in person.
Chen admitted he used fake identities and fraudulent driver’s licences to retrieve packages containing cash sent by victims.
In one instance, captured in a widely circulated YouTube video, Chen travelled to a residence in the Los Angeles area to pick up cash from what he believed was an elderly victim. He was confronted by a group of YouTubers exposing scam operations.
Investigators said members of the network also coordinated logistics with overseas co-conspirators by providing fictitious names and retail addresses to receive packages. The cash was then laundered, including through cryptocurrency, to transfer funds abroad and finance further operations.
Authorities identified more than 2,000 victims nationwide who collectively lost over $27 million during the two-year period.
Chen was arrested in August 2024. He is the second defendant to plead guilty in a five-person indictment unsealed earlier that year. He faces up to 40 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and up to 20 years for money laundering charges.
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