YouTube vigilantes help feds bust $65M scam ring targeting seniors

Aug 28, 2025 - 15:00

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A major international fraud ring that stole more than $65 million from thousands of elderly Americans—including a 97-year-old San Diego woman— has been dismantled with help from an unexpected source: Youtubers.

The Nexstar Media video above explains why scammers love gift cards

Federal prosecutors in San Diego announced Wednesday that 28 alleged members of a Chinese organized crime group have been indicted for operating a far-reaching fraud and money laundering scheme. The group is accused of working with Indian-based scam call centers to prey on elderly victims across the United States, using fake tech support calls and psychological manipulation to trick them into handing over their life savings.

The network, active since at least 2019 and rooted in Southern California, is accused of posing as government agents, bank employees, or tech support representatives, according to court records. Scammers reportedly convinced victims they had mistakenly received refunds, then pressured them into returning the "extra" funds—via wire transfer, gift cards, or packages of cash.

Among the victims was a 97-year-old San Diego widow of a Holocaust survivor who lost her entire life savings to the scam, prosecutors explained.

The takedown—coordinated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation—resulted in 25 arrests across California, New York, Texas, and Michigan. Authorities seized more than $4.2 million in assets, including luxury vehicles such as a 2022 Mercedes-Benz G63, a 2024 Porsche Panamera, and a 2025 GMC Yukon Denali.

In an interesting twist, some of the most critical evidence came not from undercover agents—but from YouTube creators known for "scambaiting."

Pierogi, the voice behind the YouTube channel "Scammer Payback," and creators from "Trilogy Media" collaborated in a series of sting operations, baiting scammers and recording their interactions. Videos posted in 2020 and 2021 led directly to the identification of three defendants: 29-year-old Zhiyi Zhang, 31-year-old Dudu Chen, and 24-year-old Huajian Chen.

In one operation, scammers told Pierogi to send a cash package to a man named "Hans Bum" at an address in San Francisco. As explained by prosecutors, "Trilogy Media" followed up with a decoy delivery—and a surprise confrontation on camera.

The man who opened the door was Zhang, later identified as a key figure in the operation. He allegedly used short-term rentals and fake IDs to receive fraud proceeds. He admitted on video to accepting packages in exchange for money, and his identity was later confirmed through rental records and unblurred footage provided to federal agents.

Zhiyi Zhang is being confronted by Art Kulik from Trilogy Media. (Photo courtesy of United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of California)

Zhang was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 19, 2025.

“Not all heroes wear capes. Some have YouTube channels,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Our office will continue to be on the cutting edge of law enforcement techniques to ensure justice for vulnerable victims who have been defrauded by Chinese organized crime.”

Watch the sting videos:

Prosecutors say the multi-agency investigation is ongoing, and court proceedings for the defendants are scheduled to begin in federal court in San Diego in the coming weeks.