Jiandong Chen, also known as “Little Tiger,” pleaded guilty on Apr. 2 to participating in a $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted around 2,000 elderly people across the United States.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about scams aimed at older adults, with victims losing significant amounts of money and being subjected to complex schemes designed to gain their trust. According to court documents, the conspiracy involved technical support, bank impersonation, government impersonation, and refund scams. Victims were contacted through unsolicited phone calls, emails, or pop-up ads directing them to call numbers operated by India-based scam call centers.
Once contact was made, conspirators used social engineering tactics and remote desktop software to access victims’ computers. A common method involved telling victims they were owed a small refund from a retailer for an unauthorized charge. During this process, scammers pretended to accidentally over-refund the victim and then instructed them to return the extra funds via wire transfer or cash sent by express mail—though no actual refund had been issued.
Chen admitted that he collected bulk cash packages sent by victims using fraudulent identification documents matching fictitious recipient names provided by co-conspirators. In one incident captured on video and posted on YouTube under the title “CONFRONTING SCAMMERS WITH A FAKE FUNERAL (EPIC REACTIONS),” Chen was confronted while attempting an in-person pickup of cash from someone he believed was an elderly victim.
Investigators found that more than $27 million was stolen from over 2,000 seniors between 2021 and 2023. The operation laundered proceeds through cryptocurrency transfers both domestically and internationally. Chen is one of five defendants charged in June 2024; his arrest followed a nationwide law enforcement action later that year.
Sentencing for Chen is scheduled for June 26 before U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
