Scammers at call centers told victims to send packages of cash to retail locations, then used fake IDs to collect. Over 2,000 people were fooled.
Five Chinese nationals living in California and Nevada are accused of teaming up with fraudsters in India to defraud more than 2,000 seniors of more than $27 million through various computer and phone scams, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The fifth defendant, Gong Youfei, 29, of San Gabriel, was already in custody on state charges as of April 9.
“Southern California is sadly a target-rich environment for foreign and domestic scam artists who relentlessly prey on vulnerable Americans and their bank accounts,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.
“Today’s arrests follow hard work by many dedicated law enforcement agencies and will aid our continuing efforts to educate potential victims to avoid responding to strangers who claim to care about them, and never give or send hard-earned money in response to a solicitation.”
FBI investigators found that the scheme, which began around 2021, raked in more than $27 million through June 2024. The investigation identified approximately 2,000 victims between 2021 and 2023, prosecutors said.
According to a federal indictment unsealed July 31 in San Diego, the fraud and money laundering scheme spanned multiple countries.
The indictment alleges that the fraud ring targeted elderly Americans through unsolicited pop-up ads, emails, and phone calls. Victims were lured into contacting fraudulent call centers based in India, where conspirators used various scams—including technical support, government impersonation, and refund fraud—to obtain money from them.
The defendants directed victims to send money via wire transfers or express mail packages to various locations in Southern California and Nevada, prosecutors said.
They used fake IDs to collect these packages from retail locations, such as pharmacies, and laundered the proceeds through cryptocurrency transactions sent to their Indian associates, the complaint alleges.
In a text message provided by prosecutors, Wang described his role during the process.
“What I do is picking up packages from CVS with a fake ID,” Wang allegedly wrote in the message sent last August. “[The packages] contain cash. Laundering money for Indian scam syndicate(s). Large syndicate(s). My bosses launder over one million US dollars in a week.”
The defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, which could lead to up to 40 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Additionally, they are charged with conspiracy to launder money, carrying up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount laundered. They also face criminal forfeiture charges.
“Every day swindlers entangle unsuspecting seniors into scams to steal their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We urge everyone to use caution and consult with others before sending money to strangers they know only through phone calls, texts, or a computer.”
This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
Those who believe they may have been victims of financial fraud can seek help through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 or report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center online.