Federal enforcement agencies have made allegations against a 37-year old man residing in Staten Island, purportedly being part of an ambitious nationwide scheme that aimed to swindle over $18 million from an excess of 350 victims. The scam primarily focused on senior citizens. The man, identified as Jingbin Jiang, was apprehended in Staten Island this past Thursday. Another individual allegedly involved, Su Jian Liu, 38, of Edmond, Oklahoma, is still on the run.
The duo allegedly played key roles in the operation that saw over 70 victims lose in excess of $5 million. The actors involved in this heinous act were indicted in an announcement by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, Christopher Raia, and NYPD Commissioner, Jessica Tisch. The public record indicates that the accused, Jiang, is a resident of New Springville.
Details of the indictment, revealed in a Federal Court in Manhattan, suggest that the fraudulent operation, masterminded by Jiang and Liu, spanned from 2023 to July 2025. The operation targeted seniors in several states including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and many more. Within the purview of the scam were states of Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, California, Connecticut, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, and others.
Jiang, referred to as ‘Fatty’, and Liu, aka ‘Ah Pang’, are stated to have overseen the couriers who were responsible for the collection of cash and gold from the victims. Regular progress updates about the courier activities, which often involved transporting ill-begotten gains to New York City, were allegedly provided by the accused to other members of the illicit scheme.
The accomplices reportedly utilized popular text messaging platforms to circulate information about potential victims, often including details such as the zip codes and the sums of cash or gold to be collected from each targeted individual. The alleged criminals would then decide whether to proceed with the pickup, and if they agreed, their associates would furnish specific particulars such as the time and pickup location, as per the allegations made by the prosecutors.
Upon successful collection of the valuables, Jiang and Liu were accused of coordinating the division and distribution of the criminal proceeds amongst the other members of their vile operation. On occasion, the accumulated cash and gold were transmuted into cryptocurrency, the digital currency then being forwarded to their overseas accomplices stationed in countries including India and China.
The deceitful operation reportedly initiated with a sudden pop-up message that would appear on the targeted seniors’ computer screens, urging them to call a specific phone number under the control of the scheming individuals. The pop-up messages frequently impersonated technology companies, banks, or government entities to appear credible.
When the victims responded to the phone number displayed, they were subjected to a concocted tale designed to provoke them into withdrawing money from their bank accounts. The elderly individuals were fed with fabricated stories such as their computers being infected with viruses or being compromised for illicit activities. Some victims also received fictitious alerts regarding potential unauthorized access to their bank accounts.
To evade potential arrest or to safeguard their bank reserves, the victims were then instructed to remove large sums of cash from their accounts or to buy large quantities of gold. The seniors were occasionally given assurances that their money would be securely held in the custody of a credible consumer protection agency.
To make the entire operation seem even more convincing, the victims were often furnished with counterfeit notifications bearing false letterheads seeming to be that of government agencies and counterfeit signatures. They were also informed about a courier, who would come to their homes or another arranged location to collect the valuables.
The victims were presented with invented names for each courier involved, sometimes even being provided with a unique password and a scheme member’s description. In certain instances, some victims were directed to purchase and forward cryptocurrency or gift cards via ways that did not necessitate a pickup.
The victims were often mislead by assurances that they would be able to access their gold and/or cash in the future as these valuables were being deposited into secure bank accounts on their behalf or held in trust by an organization such as a reputable consumer protection agency.
The sad reality, however, was that the funds never found their way back to the victims, some of whom conducted multiple transactions before deducing that they were the victims of a fraud. The elaborate scam exploited the trust of unwitting seniors, leaving deep financial and emotional scars.
The comprehensive operation, as described by the federal agencies, amounts to a clear exploitation of the vulnerabilities of senior citizens, with an intricate network of deceit stretching across multiple states and even countries. The authorities continue in their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, working tirelessly towards protecting the most vulnerable from such devastating scams.
In these testing times, it is crucial for individuals, especially senior citizens, to stay vigilant about the various scams and deceptive activities that are increasingly common in our digital age. Simple actions, such as verifying the sources of unsolicited communications and seeking advice before making large transactions, can go a long way to protect oneself from devastating losses.
Jiang’s arrest marks an important victory in the fight against these painful scams, yet much work is needed to prevent such tragedies from recurring. With scammers becoming ever more sophisticated, awareness and education amongst our communities are our best defense.
The post 37-Year-Old Arrested in Nationwide Senior Citizen Fraud Case appeared first on Real News Now.
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