Two Californians were indicted in a multi-million dollar tech-support scam directed at elderly victims.
According to a May 12 Department of Justice news release, Thien Phuc Tran, 32, and Ton Huynh Bui, 29, both of Santa Ana, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in connection with their assistance in a scheme to defraud elderly victims. The two-count indictment was filed April 26.
"Cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used to facilitate illicit activities," Secret Service agent Timothy Burke said in the release. "We are proud to work with our partners to investigate schemes like those charged in the indictment. At the Secret Service, we are committed to keeping pace with innovations in the financial system as we continue to safeguard Americans from fraud and other illicit activities."
“The Department of Justice prioritizes protecting the elderly from all types of financial crime," U.S. Attorney Chung said, according to the release. "Members of the alleged conspiracy in this case preyed on this vulnerable population by convincing victims that their personal funds were not secure and needed to be moved to other accounts controlled by the defendants. My office will continue to seek justice for these victims and hold accountable those who would perpetrate fraudulent schemes against the elderly. Indeed, one of the best ways to prevent financial fraud is to educate yourself about the many types of scams.”
The FBI also expressed concern in the release about these kinds of crimes happening again in the future.
“Cyber criminals are targeting our aging population at an ever-increasing rate," Mike Nordwall, FBI special agent, said in the release. "This conspiracy targeted members of the senior population in western Pennsylvania and across the United States. In some cases, these criminals have stolen the life savings of unsuspecting and trusting seniors through social engineering, computer intrusions and other means. The FBI will continue to work to put an end to these types of cyber schemes and help prevent our senior citizen population from becoming victims.’’
