A significant federal case is underway involving a Staten Island resident being accused of participating in a nationwide fraud scheme targeting elderly citizens. The 37-year-old individual was reportedly involved in attempts to defraud more than 350 victims across the entire country, totaling fraud attempts exceeding $18 million. Affectionately named Jingbin Jiang, he was apprehended on Staten Island and was a key part of a fraud network that led to over 70 aged victims losing above $5 million.
His accomplice, 38-year-old Su Jian Liu, who hails from Edmond, Oklahoma is however still on the run. Unveiled information from the Federal Court in Manhattan suggests that both Jiang and Liu carried out their scam targeted at senior citizens spanning several states. These regions included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, California, Connecticut, and many others over a span of 2 years – from 2023 to 2025.
Jiang, who also goes by the nickname Fatty and Liu, known as Ah Pang, were the masterminds behind this large-scale fraudulent ring. They strategically managed couriers tasked with collecting cash and gold from their unsuspecting victims. Briefings on the activities of these couriers, which typically involved transporting deceitfully acquired proceeds to New York City, were regularly given to other members of their fraud crew.
The group communicated primarily using text-messaging platforms through which they shared detailed information about potential victims. Each victim’s details, such as their zip codes, and the amount of cash or gold to be retrieved, were systematically shared within the group. The decision to proceed with or ignore a potential victim was at the discretion of Jiang and Liu. Once they decided to move forward, collaborators would provide intricate details including the time and location for the pickup.
Once the couriers secured the targeted valuables, Jiang and Liu masterminded the distribution of the ill-gotten assets to other members of the fraud group. In some instances, the acquired cash and gold were converted into cryptocurrency and subsequently transferred to foreign-based collaborators, such as those situated in India and China.
The elaborate scam usually began with a strategically engineered pop-up message appearing on the victims’ computer screens. These messages would prompt the seniors to call a predetermined phone number operated by the fraudster group. The message was cleverly disguised to appear as if it came from a renowned technology company, a bank, or even a government entity.
When the unsuspecting victims dialed in, they were met with a fabricated narrative designed to convince them to withdraw sizable amounts from their bank accounts. Some were misled by false alerts about their computers being contaminated with viruses, wilfully serving as a conduit for severe crimes or threats that their bank accounts had been compromised.
Alarm bells of an imminent apprehension or the protection of their bank accounts were sounded to escalate urgency. To supposedly avert these fabricated perils, victims were persuaded to withdraw large sums of cash or buy sizeable amounts of gold. Some even believed that their assets would be safely secured by a consumer protection agency.
In a further attempt to reiterate the supposed authenticity of the scam, they were also provided with forged letters. These falsified documents bore the letterheads of government agencies and unauthorized official signatures. These made-up securities assured the victims that a designated courier would arrive at a pre-decided location to collect their valuables. The victims were made to believe that the couriers were authenticated with a unique pseudonym and sometimes even a password.
In other instances, the victims were made to purchase and transfer cryptocurrency or gift cards in a fashion that did not necessitate any form of physical pickup. The swindled individuals were assured that they could access their gold and cash at a later date. This was a ploy by the scammers who ensured the victims that their assets would be securely deposited into new protected accounts or held by renowned institutions like a consumer protection agency.
Sadly, these promises were never kept, and the money was never returned to the victims. Some victims, carried away by the elaborate falsehood, conducted multiple transactions before they struck the harsh reality – they had been defrauded.
The post Staten Island Native Accused in Nationwide Elderly Fraud Scheme appeared first on Real News Now.
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