Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO – Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar,” was sentenced in federal court today to 151 months in prison for leading a $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme targeting approximately 2,000 elderly victims across the United States. Wang, a Chinese national, was the lead defendant charged in a five-defendant indictment unsealed in 2024. According to public documents, members of the conspiracy operated a series of technical support, bank impersonation and government impersonation, and refund scams targeting elderly victims. Victims received unsolicited phone calls, emails, and pop-up ads directing victims to call a phone number. Unbeknownst to the victims, those phone numbers belonged to India-based scam call centers. Once a victim called the call center, members of the conspiracy used social engineering techniques to build trust with victims. In many instances, the conspirators had victims download commercially available remote desktop software, which the conspirators used to access victims’ computers and to carry on the scams.