Nov. 14 (UPI) — A Chinese national featured in a viral YouTube video confronting scammers was sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison for his role in a $27 million fraud scheme that targeted thousands of elderly Americans, federal prosecutors said.
Jiandong Chen, 42, also known as “Little Tiger,” was sentenced to 78 months after pleading guilty in April to fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges.
Investigators identified more than 2,000 victims nationwide who collectively lost more than $27 million. Chen admitted to being directly involved in $9.5 million victim losses.
The scheme operated between 2021 and 2023, targeting victims in their 70s and 80s through technical support, bank impersonation, government impersonation and refund scams, prosecutors said.
Victims received unsolicited calls, emails and pop-up advertisements directing them to contact call centers based in India.
The scammers gained victims’ trust before convincing them to send money to accomplices in the United States, often through cash packages shipped by express mail.
Chen was responsible for collecting packages containing victims’ money in Southern California and Nevada.
In July 2023, Chen appeared in a viral YouTube video by Trilogy Media creators Ashton Bingham and Art Kulik, who confronted him during an attempted cash pickup at a Los Angeles-area residence.
Chen believed he was collecting money from an elderly victim but instead encountered the YouTubers, who questioned him about his involvement in the operation.
Both creators attended Friday’s sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said Chen continued participating in the scheme despite being arrested by local authorities in June 2023.
Federal agents encountered him again in December 2023 while he attempted to retrieve additional packages in Upland, Calif.
“These victims weren’t foolish,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. “They were lied to and exploited by a sophisticated criminal network.”
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