FONTANA, CA — Fabrisio Arias, 46, was sentenced on February 7 to 41 months in prison for his role in laundering nearly $400,000 in a fraudulent international sweepstakes scheme that targeted older Americans, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. In addition to his prison sentence, Arias was ordered to pay restitution of $395,536 to 22 victims.
Between November 2020 and September 2022, Arias was involved in an international conspiracy that defrauded elderly U.S. citizens. Scammers in Costa Rica, using spoofed numbers to appear as officials from the IRS or Federal Trade Commission, called victims, falsely claiming they had won sweepstakes prizes. However, to claim their “winnings,” victims were told they needed to pay taxes or fees upfront.
Arias facilitated the scam by collecting the payments at his home in Fontana, California, and laundering the funds through U.S. bank accounts. He then transferred the majority of the money to Costa Rica, concealing the origins of the funds by falsifying payor names, signatures, and memo lines on money orders. Arias further disguised the illicit transfers by mixing the scam proceeds with money from his nightclub and used-car businesses, and even made wire transfers appear as payments for legitimate expenses such as vehicles, family support, or real estate.
The scheme resulted in more than $395,000 being laundered, with over $237,000 sent to Costa Rica. Victims, many of whom were in their seventies, eighties, and nineties, suffered severe financial hardship. Some lost their life savings, while others were forced to take out loans or return to work to recover from the devastating effects of the scam.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerable population often targeted by fraudsters, and the serious consequences of participating in or facilitating such criminal activities.