ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Three Chinese nationals are facing the possibility of decades in federal prison for their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud seniors out of more than $2 million.<\/p>\n
The United States Attorney\u2019s Office in the Middle District of Florida announced the arrests of Yongbo Li, 36, Huashan Lu, 62, and Yuxiang Zhao, 60. All three defendants were arrested for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s now the marching orders coming from the Department of Justice that the tolerance level for fraud is zero,\u201d said United States Attorney Gregory Kehoe. \u201cZero tolerance level for this fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a press conference held at his office in downtown Orlando Tuesday, Kehoe described the allegations listed in a 66 page criminal complaint.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe defendants targeted individuals by impersonating legitimate businesses, financial institutions, government agencies, and other trusted agencies to gain victims\u2019 confidence and induce those victims to transfer money,\u201d Kehoe said.<\/p>\n
Investigators said the defendants deceived the victims–who were mostly elderly–into sending cashier\u2019s checks, money orders, or cash to P.O. boxes in and around Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor most of these people, their money was gone forever,\u201d Kehoe said of the 28 victims who have been identified.<\/p>\n
Kehoe said the lies and manipulation varied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were told that their Apple Pay account had been used to purchase pornography in China, that the victims\u2019 social security number was compromised so the victim should liquidate his or her financial accounts and buy cashiers\u2019 checks to hold the funds for safekeeping,\u201d Kehoe said.<\/p>\n
In one instance, according to the criminal complaint, a woman was told her social security number was compromised, prompting her to be connected to a man claiming to be a United States Secret Service agent.<\/p>\n
The man instructed the victim–referred to as M.D. in the complaint–to liquidate her funds and complete a cashier\u2019s check for the United States Treasury \u201cto hold the funds for safekeeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Investigators said M.D. withdrew and sent more than $259,000 via Cashier\u2019s checks to companies owned by the defendants.<\/p>\n
Kehoe said other suspects have not been apprehended because they are in China. One of those suspects is an American citizen, according to Kehoe.<\/p>\n
Investigators are currently trying to claw back the victims\u2019 money that went offshore.<\/p>\n
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