The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Rachelle Aud Crowe, is raising alarms about the alarming rise of imposter scams that are preying on older Americans in southern Illinois. These scams involve criminal organizations manipulating vulnerable seniors into relinquishing their life savings to foreign conspirators.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen several instances where seniors in southern Illinois have fallen victim to these scams, most recently in Williamson County,” said U.S. Attorney Crowe. “The Marion Police Department conducted extensive investigative work in this case, and we are grateful for their partnership in seeking justice for the victims.”
Imposter scams typically begin with communication from the scammer, which may come in the form of a phone call, text, or email from a source that appears trustworthy, such as PayPal. The scammer informs the victim of a suspicious purchase on their account, stating that if they did not make the purchase, their account has been compromised.
The scammer often refers the victim to another fraudster posing as a federal agent, who claims to assist in protecting the victim’s identity and assets. This fraudulent agent employs scare tactics, alleging that the victim is at risk of losing their savings and retirement funds. The conspirators pressure victims to drain their accounts and meet with an accomplice to hand over cash for deposit into a “secure” account.
In some cases, victims are even instructed not to disclose the reason for withdrawing funds to their bank or investment firm representatives.
In a troubling incident in southern Illinois, an elderly couple from Williamson County lost an estimated $121,000 to an imposter scam. Three Chinese nationals are now facing federal wire fraud charges in connection with this case, with their court appearance scheduled for this week. The defendants allegedly conspired to convince the couple to secure their funds under the guise of federal government custody following a supposed fraudulent purchase on their account. They directed the couple to send photos of withdrawal slips from their accounts, promising that a “federal agent” would collect the cash at their home. The conspirators even provided code words for the couple to use with the courier.
The defendants were arrested in October by officers from the Marion Police Department while attempting to collect cash from the couple.
To report elder fraud, individuals are encouraged to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
The investigation is a joint effort involving the Marion Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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