An alleged $65 million scam targeting elderly Americans used India-based call centres and fake rental addresses to collect cash; US prosecutors say YouTube scam hunters helped identify suspects as guilty pleas emerged

A multinational fraud scheme that allegedly cost elderly Americans about $65 million relied on India-based scam call centres, fake identities and short-term rental properties to collect cash from victims, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). In an update published on October 26, prosecutors said the final defendants among 25 people arrested in the case had pleaded guilty, marking a significant development in an investigation that was also aided by YouTube creators who confronted suspected scammers on camera and shared footage with law enforcement.The criminal network, which prosecutors said had operated since at least 2019 and was rooted in Southern California, targeted thousands of older Americans through elaborate refund and technical-support scams. The operation primarily involved Chinese nationals who allegedly worked with India-based call centres, according to court records. Three charged defendants remained fugitives as of the latest DOJ announcement.The investigation also highlighted how videos made by online scam hunters helped authorities identify people linked to the alleged conspiracy and understand how the network collected money from victims across the United States.How the scam allegedly workedAccording to prosecutors, victims received unsolicited calls or emails that directed them to phone numbers connected to scam call centres in India. People answering the calls posed as technical-support agents, government officials or bank employees.Using scripted claims and psychological manipulation, they allegedly persuaded victims that they had received a mistaken refund or faced a problem requiring immediate action. In some cases, scammers obtained remote access to victims’ computers. They then pressured or threatened victims into returning supposed excess payments through wire transfers, cash or gift cards.For victims instructed to send cash, the process was particularly elaborate. They were told to withdraw large sums, place the money in packages and send them through express or overnight delivery services to addresses supplied by the conspirators.The recipient names were fictitious and corresponded with fake identification documents, while the addresses belonged to short-term rental properties in the US, prosecutors said. The arrangements allowed members of the network to receive cash without consistently using their real names or permanent addresses.According to the DOJ, conspirators booked properties using a hub-and-spoke pattern. A central property would be rented for about a week, while nearby locations were booked for shorter periods. The group would then move to different properties and repeat the process, making it harder for investigators to trace the operation.A package of cash led investigators to the networkThe investigation began in December 2020 after an elderly victim contacted an express-mail carrier after being defrauded into sending cash through the post. The discovery led investigators to 11 packages containing approximately $135,000, all addressed to fictitious names at short-term rental properties in the San Diego area. Authorities subsequently uncovered a much larger alleged operation involving thousands of victims and millions of dollars in losses.One of the victims identified in the case was a 97-year-old San Diego widow whose entire life savings were allegedly taken. The case prompted federal investigators to pursue the people collecting the cash as well as those involved in the calls and financial transactions.In August 2025, federal agents carried out a coordinated nationwide operation, making arrests in California, New York, Texas and Michigan. The DOJ announced charges against 28 alleged members of the network, with 25 arrested during the operation. The government said the investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation division, among other agencies.How YouTube scam hunters helpedThe case also drew attention to the role played by online creators who specialise in exposing scams. Prosecutors credited YouTubers from Scammer Payback, whose creator is known as Pierogi, and Trilogy Media with helping investigators identify multiple defendants.In videos published in 2020 and 2021, the creators staged sting operations designed to expose suspected scammers. They posed as victims, followed instructions to send decoy packages and confronted people who appeared to be involved in collecting money.In one operation described by the DOJ, a suspected recipient was directed to collect a cash package under the alias “Hans Bum”. Trilogy Media delivered a decoy package to a South San Francisco address and confronted the recipient, identified by prosecutors as Zhiyi Zhang. According to the government, Zhang revealed his identity during the interaction and acknowledged receiving packages for money.The creators handed footage to law enforcement. Investigators then used unblurred video, rental records and other evidence to verify identities and establish links to the alleged operation.Prosecutors said the videos helped identify Zhiyi Zhang, Dudu Chen and Huajian Chen, while also providing insight into how the wider conspiracy operated. The footage was one part of a broader investigation that relied on financial records, surveillance, interviews and evidence gathered by federal agencies.The latest DOJ announcement said Haotian Zhang and Zetian Zhang pleaded guilty in federal court on October 23, with the announcement issued three days later. Other defendants had also entered guilty pleas in preceding months, including Hua Wang, whom prosecutors identified as a lead defendant.In a June 2026 announcement, the DOJ said Wang admitted participating in the scheme from 2019 through 2023 and being responsible for more than 2,000 cash packages sent by elderly victims. Prosecutors attributed approximately $64 million in victim losses to his role.The October update said three charged defendants remained fugitives. Sentencing proceedings for multiple defendants were still pending, meaning guilty pleas did not mark the end of the legal process.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.