The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced that eight Chinese nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The individuals, who had obtained student visas to attend college in the United States, include Yankun Jiang, Hanlin Yang, Chenhao Chen, Xiaoqing Tu, Dongjie Lu, Lei Bao, Kuo Zhang, and Jiacheng Zhang.
Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus stated that the indictment alleges these individuals orchestrated a computer "pop-up" scam targeting elderly victims from August 2023 to February 2024. They allegedly posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect cash from victims under false pretenses. The scheme reportedly defrauded more than 50 victims across 19 states of over $10 million.
Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia commented on the efforts to protect elderly populations from such frauds: "These indictments highlight the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguard our elderly population from complex fraud operations."
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and fines under federal law. All charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
