CALIFORNIA – The U.S. Department of Justice announced on August 27, 2025, that 28 individuals have been charged in a $65 million fraud scheme orchestrated by a Southern California-based Chinese organized crime ring. The conspiracy, which primarily targeted elderly Americans, led to 25 arrests following a nationwide law enforcement operation.
The accused face charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering—offenses that carry a combined maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison and millions in fines.
How the Scheme Worked
Since 2019, the crime network—comprised mainly of Chinese nationals—partnered with India-based scam call centers. Victims were manipulated through cold calls and emails, then funneled to fraudulent support agents impersonating government workers, bank employees, or tech support representatives.
Scammers used scripted tactics to access victims’ computers and convince them they had received an accidental refund. Victims were then pressured or threatened into returning the nonexistent overpayment—via wire transfers, gift cards, or cash sent by overnight couriers.
Fraud proceeds were routed to short-term rental properties under fake names and IDs, where U.S.-based co-conspirators collected the cash.
YouTubers Play Key Role in Investigation
In a groundbreaking twist, YouTubers Pierogi from Scammer Payback and Trilogy Media were instrumental in uncovering the network. Their undercover stings, published between 2020–2021, revealed how scammers operated—and directly led to the identification of several high-level perpetrators.
In one video, Pierogi was instructed to send money to “Hans Bum” in South San Francisco.
Trilogy Media then delivered a decoy package and confronted the recipient—Zhiyi Zhang, who admitted on camera to collecting packages in exchange for cash.
The YouTubers turned over all video evidence to authorities, leading to Zhang’s arrest at LAX on August 19, 2025.
Zhang, also known as “Cream Pablo” and “Hans Bum,” is connected to at least $1.8 million in losses, according to federal detention memos. Two other key defendants—Dudu Chen and Huajian Chen—were also identified through these YouTube-led operations.
“Not all heroes wear capes. Some have YouTube channels,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, praising the collaboration between content creators and law enforcement.
Seizures and Charges
During this week’s raids, agents seized:
$4.2 million in cash
Luxury vehicles including a Mercedes G63, Porsche Panamera, and GMC Yukon Denali
Each defendant is charged with:
Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud: Up to 40 years in prison and $1 million in fines.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Up to 20 years and fines of $500,000 or double the laundered amount.
The investigation remains ongoing.
