中国籍男子参与2700万美元诈骗团伙专骗长者：在圣迭戈被判刑6年半
一名参与2,700万美元跨国诈骗、专骗老年人的中国籍男子，11月13日在位于加州圣迭戈的联邦法院被判处6年半监禁。被告 Jiandong Chen 现年42岁、居住在洛杉矶，绰号「Little Tiger」，美国司法部加州南区检察官办公室当天公布了量刑结果。
据法庭文件，该团伙经营技术支持、冒充银行、冒充政府机构与退款等多种骗局，专门盯上老年受害人。受害人会接到陌生电话、邮件，或在电脑上看到弹窗广告，被诱导拨打一个号码，而号码那头是设在印度的诈骗呼叫中心。
通话接通后，团伙成员用话术取得受害人信任，再诱使受害人把钱寄给身在美国的同伙，地点遍及南加州、内华达州等地。钱款多以大额现金快递包裹寄送，也有电汇的，部分成员还会上门直接从受害人手中取钱。调查人员确认，全美有超过2,000名老年受害人，受害人多为七八十岁，两年间损失合计超过2,700万美元。
Chen 于2022年11月来到美国，2023年2月起已积极参与这起诈骗与洗钱阴谋。2023年7月，他前往洛杉矶地区一处住宅、准备从一名他以为是老年受害人的人手中取走大额现金时，被网络视频创作者 Ashton Bingham 与 Art Kulik 当面对质，过程被拍成视频在 YouTube 上广泛传播，两人今天也出席了量刑听证。检方在听证上出示了多段视频，显示 Chen 多次取走受害人包裹并清点钱款。
尽管 Chen 已于2023年6月被地方执法部门逮捕，他的参与至少持续到2023年12月22日，当天联邦探员在加州 Upland 发现他试图再取受害人包裹。他在认罪协议中承认，自己经手的受害人损失超过950万美元，曾用假身份证件取包裹，并频繁在多地之间转移、包括进入加州南区，以逃避执法。团伙还通过加密货币清洗诈骗所得，把钱转给境外同伙、支付同伙报酬并负担取现金包裹的旅费，包括前往内华达州拉斯维加斯的行程。
联邦检察官 Adam Gordon 说：「这些受害人并不愚蠢。他们是被一个老练的犯罪网络欺骗和利用了。」联邦调查局（FBI）圣迭戈外勤办公室特别探员主管 Mark Remily 说，这类诈骗偷走的不只是钱，还有受害人的安宁、信任与安全感，Chen 在这起专门盯上脆弱老年人的骗局中扮演了关键角色。
联邦地区法官 Robert S. Huie 在宣判前说，Chen「以一连串行为从我们当中最脆弱的一群人手里偷钱」，并指出从老年受害人那里拿走的不只是钱，还包括他们的自尊、尊严和与家人之间的信任。本案由助理联邦检察官 Kevin Mokhtari 起诉，参与调查的机构包括 FBI、联邦存款保险公司监察长办公室、国土安全调查局与圣迭戈县多家地方执法机构。（来源：美国司法部加州南区检察官办公室）
Chinese National Sentenced to 6.5 Years in $27 Million Fraud Scheme Targeting 2,000 Seniors
A Chinese national who took part in a $27 million multinational fraud scheme targeting elderly victims was sentenced on November 13 in federal court in San Diego, California, to six and a half years in prison. The defendant, Jiandong Chen, 42, of Los Angeles, known as “Little Tiger,” was sentenced in a case announced the same day by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.
According to public documents, members of the conspiracy operated technical support, bank impersonation, government impersonation and refund scams targeting elderly victims. Victims received unsolicited phone calls, emails and pop-up ads directing them to call a phone number that belonged to India-based scam call centers.
Once a victim called, conspirators used social engineering to build trust, then induced victims to send money to members of the conspiracy in the United States, in locations throughout Southern California, Nevada and elsewhere. The money most often arrived as bulk cash in express mail packages, but also as wire transfers, and certain members also picked up money in person directly from victims. Investigators identified more than 2,000 elderly victims across the country, many in their 70s and 80s, who lost more than $27 million over about two years.
Chen, a Chinese national, moved to the United States in November 2022 and by February 2023 was actively participating in the scheme. In July 2023, he traveled to a residence in the Los Angeles area to pick up bulk cash from someone he believed to be an elderly victim, and was confronted by Ashton Bingham and Art Kulik of Trilogy Media in a video that spread widely on YouTube; both attended the sentencing hearing. Prosecutors showed videos of Chen retrieving victim packages and counting victims' money.
Despite being arrested by local law enforcement in June 2023, Chen's involvement continued through at least December 22, 2023, when federal agents encountered him in Upland, California, attempting to retrieve additional victim packages. In his plea agreement, Chen admitted that his part of the conspiracy involved more than $9.5 million in victim losses, that he used fake IDs to retrieve packages, and that he frequently relocated, including to the Southern District of California, to evade law enforcement. The conspirators also laundered proceeds through cryptocurrency, including trips to Las Vegas, Nevada.
“These victims weren't foolish. They were lied to and exploited by a sophisticated criminal network,” said United States Attorney Adam Gordon. Mark Remily, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office, said such schemes rob victims of their peace of mind, trust and sense of security, and that Chen played a key role in a scheme that targeted vulnerable older Americans. Before pronouncing the 78-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie said Chen had “engaged in extensive course of conduct in stealing from some of the most vulnerable people here in the United States.” The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari, and was investigated by the FBI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations and San Diego County agencies. (Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California)
来源：美国司法部加州南区检察官办公室
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于华盛顿的美国司法部总部大楼。ajay_suresh 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons，本图已裁为 16:9。 / Photo: Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington. By ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped to 16:9.
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