A 34-year-old Monterey Park man has been charged with scamming seniors out of a staggering $348,000 in a complex scheme that saw him impersonate tech support and bank officials.
Jiaci Liu, 34, appeared in federal court in San Diego on May 22 after a months-long investigation by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies.
According to a federal complaint, the scam began when a 63-year-old Poway man received a pop-up window on his computer claiming he had a virus and instructing him to contact a phone number. When he did, he was transferred through a series of co-conspirators pretending to work in tech support.
The victim was then informed that his computer had viruses and was told to go to his bank and withdraw all his money for safekeeping. He was instructed to go immediately and was told someone from the U.S. Marshals Service would come to pick up the money. The victim became suspicious and contacted the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, which informed him to contact them if anyone showed up to pick up the money.
On June 9, 2023, defendant Jiaci Liu arrived at the victim’s residence, and the victim called the police, who arrived and found Liu outside the victim’s home. Liu’s cellphone was seized and later searched, revealing evidence that he had picked up over $348,000 from multiple victims in Southern California and Phoenix, Arizona in just one week.
“Everyone with a computer is vulnerable to sophisticated scams like the one alleged in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “If you think you’ve been targeted, report it quickly. The faster the report comes in, the more likely we are to catch the scammers and recover any swindled money.”
Jiaci Liu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and criminal forfeiture. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 24, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge David D. Leshner.
Officials are warning seniors and their families to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
Jiaci Liu’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANT:
Case Number 24MJ1929-MSB
Jiaci Liu Age: 34 Monterey Park, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 981(a)(1)(C), 982(a)(2)(A), and Title 28, U.S.C., Section 2461(c)
Related Federal Cases
- Calif. Scammer Jiaci Liu Targeted Seniors in Multimillion-Dollar Tech Support Scam · Arizona
- Scammer Snared: Jiaci Liu, 34, Charged in $348,000 Elderly Tech Support Scam · Arizona
- Liu’s Tech Scam Preys on Elderly, $348k Stolen · Arizona
- Live Nation Lawsuit: AG James Defies Dismissal Ruling · Florida
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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