Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
San Diego, California – A Chinese national who posed as part of a fraudulent network targeting older Americans was sentenced last Monday in San Diego federal court to two years in prison. The case might have gone differently if not for the instincts of a 63-year-old Poway man who recognized the scam in real time and reported it to authorities.
Jiaci Liu, 30, had already served three months in state custody before the case was transferred to federal court last year. Investigators say he was a key player in a multinational conspiracy that preyed on older victims by posing as technical support specialists, bank representatives, and even government officials.
Court records describe how the scheme worked. While using his computer, the Poway victim saw a pop-up warning that his machine was infected with a virus and was told to call a phone number for help. On the line were conspirators masquerading as tech support agents. He was later transferred to another scammer claiming to be from his bank. The caller told him his account had been compromised and that he needed to withdraw all his money to protect it.
The man did just that, walking out of his bank with $28,000 in cash. He was then told a representative from the U.S. Marshals Service would come to his house to collect the money. But instead of going through with the handoff, he grew suspicious and called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies advised him to wait and alert them if anyone came to pick up the cash.
That decision unraveled the scam. Liu showed up at the victim’s door to collect the money and was arrested on the spot. A search of his phone revealed the breadth of the conspiracy: in just one week in June 2023, he had traveled across Southern California and Arizona, taking more than $200,000 from elderly victims, some in their 80s.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta said the operation used “sophisticated means” and caused substantial financial harm. She noted that in-person collections from vulnerable victims added the risk of physical harm.
“Scamming the elderly is a reprehensible crime that robs individuals of their hard-earned savings and the dignity they deserve in their golden years,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said after the sentencing.
FBI officials praised the case as an example of how community vigilance can stop predatory schemes. “Thanks to the courage of one potential victim alerting law enforcement, today’s sentencing ensures that Liu will be held accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis.
