Tech Support Scam Ringleader Sentenced to 151 Months for $27 Million Fraud on 2,000 Seniors

What happened

According to the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, part of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Wang was the lead defendant in a five-defendant indictment unsealed in 2024 (Case No. 24-cr-1317-RSH-01).

According to public documents:

• Victims received unsolicited calls, emails and pop-up ads directing them to call a phone number. Those numbers belonged to scam call centers in India.
• Callers used social engineering to build trust. In many cases they had victims install commercially available remote desktop software, then used it to access victims' computers.
• In the common refund scam, victims were told they were owed a small refund. While "processing" it, the scammers claimed to have accidentally over-refunded the victim and told the victim to send the difference back by wire or in cash by express mail. No refund had ever been paid. Victims sent their own money.
• Wang supplied fictitious names and retail addresses that could receive packages. He and co-conspirators used fake IDs to collect the cash.

Investigators identified more than 2,000 elderly victims nationwide who lost more than $27 million between 2021 and 2023.

What Wang admitted

In public filings, Wang admitted that he and his co-conspirators laundered the proceeds through cryptocurrency to foreign counterparts. He took upwards of 18 percent and sent the rest abroad. He also admitted using proceeds to pay co-conspirators and to buy fake IDs.

He was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

What the court said

U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie called the scope of the fraud "staggering." He noted that Wang specifically targeted elderly victims: "Their vulnerability was not incidental. It was not coincidence. It was how they were selected."

The wife and daughter of an 83-year-old victim spoke at sentencing. They said he lived with suspicion and distrust after the scam and died within months.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led the investigation with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and state and local partners.

Why it matters

Tech support fraud continues to be a calling problem. Pop-ups and inbound numbers feed call centers. Remote access tools turn a phone call into a bank transfer. And the domestic money side, the "mules" and package collectors, is where federal prosecutors are finding leverage.

What this means for you

1. Carriers and call platforms: Know your customers. Inbound numbers advertised in pop-ups are a known fraud vector.
2. Remote access providers: Watch for sessions tied to refund and support scripts.
3. Businesses that serve seniors: Train staff to spot cash-by-mail and gift card requests.
4. Families: No legitimate company asks you to mail cash to fix a refund.