Over $10 Million Taken From More Than 50 Elderly Victims: Three Chinese Nationals Sentenced in Computer Pop-Up Scam, With Yankun Jiang Receiving 84 Months
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that three Chinese nationals were sentenced for their roles in a wide-scale computer pop-up scam targeting elderly victims: Yankun Jiang, 26, and Hanlin Yang, 26, both of State College, Pennsylvania, and Lei Bao, 24, of New York.
The scam used computer pop-ups falsely claiming that victims' computers or bank accounts had been compromised. Members of the conspiracy then traveled to victims' homes and posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect large sums of cash, claiming the assets would be protected. More than 50 victims across 19 states were defrauded of more than $10 million.
On October 20, Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced Lei Bao to 30 months in prison and ordered her to pay $377,591 in restitution. Bao acted as a courier, making several cash pick-ups from victims, and on at least five occasions transported suitcases filled with stolen cash from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles, California, to deliver the cash to other members of the conspiracy.
On October 22, Judge Brann sentenced Yankun Jiang to 84 months in prison and ordered him to pay $1,267,122 in restitution. Jiang was a courier who ultimately became a key supervisor of the couriers, collecting stolen cash from other couriers, packaging it, and coordinating delivery to other members of the conspiracy in Los Angeles.
On October 23, Judge Brann sentenced Hanlin Yang to 24 months in prison and ordered him to pay $400,800 in restitution. Yang acted as a courier, traveling to the homes of at least six victims to pick up cash.
U.S. Attorney Miller said the scammers targeted and financially exploited the most vulnerable individuals in society, and that the sentences reflect the office's commitment to protecting elderly victims and prosecuting such cases to the full extent of the law.
HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel said the defendants took advantage of older Americans' trust and fears, causing significant financial losses and lasting emotional harm to victims across the country, and that such schemes can undermine a victim's sense of security and confidence.
Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, said fraud targeting the older population has devastating consequences, threatening not just financial stability but also a sense of security, and that the FBI will continue working with law enforcement partners to investigate complex financial crimes and protect older Americans.
The FBI Philadelphia's State College Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Department of Justice.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Washington 的美国司法部大楼。GSM联邦机构固定图库照片，摄影 APK，CC BY 4.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington. GSM federal fixed image library photo by APK, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
