A West Covina man has been slapped with federal charges after allegedly trying to wring more cash out of two elderly victims ensnared by a phishing scam. Tai Su, 48, faced a judge in a Los Angeles federal court today, after being caught in a sting operation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office obtained by the Justice Department. Su's alleged plan was to pick up an additional $35,000 from the senior citizens who had already forked over $25,000 during the online scam that targeted their home computers.
Acting as the middleman on April 26, Su arrived at the victim's residence to collect the hefty sum. Wrapped up in deceit, the sting ended with Su being cuffed and found to be flush with cash in various denominations, as per the affidavit. The Justice Department's announcement said that Su is allegedly involved in a sophisticated ruse that utilized a malicious computer virus and multiple individuals impersonating both tech support and federal agents.
Details of the ruse began to unfold around April 23, when the swindled seniors clicked a rogue email link, releasing malware that locked their computer and flashed a bogus phone number for "Microsoft Support." The victims dialed the number and the scamsters escalated their plot, having the seniors believe their bank account information was compromised. They were persuaded to withdraw and hand over their savings to phony "federal agents," the court documents detailed.
The senior victims, upon the scammer's persistence, were instructed to make a trip to City National Bank for an additional $10,000. Hovering over them, a sting operation was already in motion as HSI agents learned of the scam on April 25. Bait was set and as Su made the rendezvous, posing as a Coinbase agent, agents arrested him on the spot, as detailed by the Justice Department.
Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries up a to 20-year stint in federal prison. The case, a testament to the ongoing battle against financial predators, has been spearheaded by the Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, alongside the Vulnerable Communities Task Force, to protect groups less likely to report crimes. Elderly individuals, immigrants, and indigent persons find themselves often the target of such nefarious actors, the authorities have warned.
Assistance is available for older adults who find themselves victims of financial schemes through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, a service providing support in multiple languages, including English and Spanish. The hotline is managed by the Office for Victims of Crime and is staffed by professionals ready to assess and guide victims through the necessary steps for reporting financial fraud.
