(The Center Square) – Sixteen Chinese and Canadian nationals have been indicted in a sprawling transnational fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted elderly citizens across the United States and Canada.
The defendants reside in multiple U.S. states including California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. Among them are two Canadian citizens and three Canadian residents, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The indictment, unsealed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, follows an extensive ICE investigation that identified approximately 300 victims from at least 37 states, who collectively lost over $5 million. Authorities also uncovered a bank account used to launder an estimated $16 million in additional illicit funds.
The scheme involved sending deceptive pop-up messages to seniors’ computers, falsely claiming their financial accounts had been compromised or that they were under investigation. These messages urged victims to call “live agents” posing as representatives of well-known technology companies.
Once connected, victims were further duped by fraudsters impersonating financial institution officials or government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Reserve Bank. Victims were instructed to transfer money via wire or cryptocurrency to accounts allegedly managed by federal agencies. They were also told to withdraw cash and buy gold bars, handing them over to supposed government couriers.
Key arrests include Nanjun Song, 27, found living illegally in Brooklyn on an overstayed visa, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Xiang Li and Xuehai Sun, both 37 and residing in Flushing, New York, face similar charges. In Rhode Island, Chinese-Canadian Jirui Liu, 23, was apprehended with help from Connecticut police. Massachusetts authorities arrested Fangzheng Wang, 24, of Westborough, on wire fraud charges.
Canadian arrest warrants were issued for Zhenyang Xin of Hamilton and Wing Kit Ho of Markham, Ontario. Houston-based Cynthia Jia Sun, 25, the only non-Chinese national arrested, faces wire fraud charges and remains in federal custody.
Victims hail from across the U.S. and Canada, including states from Alaska to Vermont and provinces across Canada.
The case underscores the growing threat of international fraud rings exploiting vulnerable seniors through sophisticated scams.
