Hua Wang and ten co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in a $65 million multinational fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted thousands of elderly victims across the United States, including San Diego. The investigation was significantly aided by videos from YouTubers "Scammer Payback" and "Trilogy Media," which helped law enforcement identify defendants and understand the conspiracy's structure.
Operating since at least 2019, the criminal network, primarily composed of Chinese nationals, many in the U.S. illegally, collaborated with India-based scam call centers. Fraudsters impersonated technical support agents, government officials, or bank employees, instructing victims to send bulk cash in packages via express mail carriers to short-term rental locations using fictitious names and fake IDs.
The investigation began in December 2020 after an elderly victim reported being defrauded, leading to the discovery of 11 packages containing approximately $135,000 in cash addressed to fake names in the San Diego area. YouTube videos posted in 2020 and 2021 by "Scammer Payback" and "Trilogy Media" were crucial, documenting interactions with call centers and conducting sting operations that helped identify key members like Zhiyi Zhang, Dudu Chen, and Huajian Chen.
Members also laundered the fraud proceeds. For instance, in March 2021, law enforcement seized $70,000 from co-conspirator Xiao Lei Xu and, just eight days later, $120,860 from Hua Wang, Xu, and a third co-conspirator, both instances occurring during travel from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Hua Wang admitted his involvement from 2019 through 2023, being responsible for over 2,000 cash packages and $64 million in victim loss.
Sentencing hearings for the defendants are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson. The charges carry maximum penalties of forty years in prison and a $1 million fine for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and twenty years and a $500,000 fine for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.