A significant fraud and money laundering scheme has been uncovered, involving 16 indictments against Chinese nationals targeting vulnerable seniors in the U.S. and Canada. These individuals used deceptive pop-up messages from well-known tech firms to convince their victims that their financial accounts were compromised. Victims were then manipulated into transferring funds under false pretenses, leading investigators to identify 300 victims across 37 states, with losses surpassing $5 million. The operation also involved laundering an estimated $16 million through fraudulent accounts.
According to the charging documents, the Chinese nationals sent pop-up messages to seniors' computers purporting to be a well-known technology company claiming the victims' financial accounts had been compromised.
Investigators also identified a bank account through which they believe approximately $16 million in additional suspected fraudulent funds were laundered.
The indictment was unsealed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island in a case stemming from an ICE investigation that identified 300 victims in at least 37 states.
Sixteen people were indicted overall, living in the states of California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.
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