US DOJ officials announced the arrest of 25 suspects on Aug. 2025, exposing a scheme that siphoned $65 million from elderly Americans through scripted calls and fake short‑term rental addresses.
The network, rooted in Southern California, funneled victims into phone lines connected to India‑based call centres where operators posed as bank or tech‑support agents, luring seniors into wire transfers or cash shipments.
The first crack came when a 97‑year‑old San Diego widow, whose life savings vanished, reported a post‑mail fraud that led investigators to 11 packages totaling $135,000 at fictitious rental sites; the discovery sparked a nationwide hunt.
YouTube fraud hunters Pierogi of Scammer Payback and Trilogy Media staged sting operations, confronting recipients under aliases like “Hans Bum” and “Zhiyi Zhang.” Their footage, handed to the DOJ, helped tie suspects to the delivery chain and provided incontrovertible evidence.
The raid spanned California, New York, Texas and Michigan, with the FBI, DHS and IRS Criminal Investigation divisions coordinating the arrests; three defendants remain fugitives.
The next phase: the federal court will schedule sentencing next month, where defendants face up to 20 years each for fraud and conspiracy.