A cunning scammer who heartlessly preyed on the elderly has been slapped with charges, authorities confirmed. Jiaci Liu was dragged into federal court in San Diego yesterday after an elaborate con targeting seniors, including one 63-year-old man from Poway who was nearly fleeced of a hefty $28,000, according to the Department of Justice.

The swindle, which roped in unsuspecting seniors with fake virus pop-ups followed by a string of bogus tech support and bank fraud calls, was busted by the vigilant San Diego Elder Justice Task Force after the Poway man smelt a rat and alerted law enforcement, said the FBI, and, Liu, 34, of Monterey Park, was nabbed after he showed up at the man's house posing as a U.S. Marshals Service agent to collect the cash, but the quick-thinking senior had already tipped off the cops.

Upon Liu's arrest, the feds turned over his cellphone and discovered that in just a single week in June last year, Liu had deceived multiple victims throughout Southern California and Phoenix, Arizona, out of more than $348,000, the Department of Justice stated.

In a gritty pursuit of justice, authorities are now putting the screws on Liu, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and seeking criminal forfeiture. He could face up to thirty years in the slammer and a $1 million fine if convicted on these allegations. Liu was pinched on June 9 last year when he had the gall to attempt a fleecing at the victim's doorstep but instead walked into the arms of the law. 

Officials are now urging other potential victims of financial fraud, especially those age 60 and over, to reach out for help through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833 FRAUD-11 or report scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The case against Liu was the result of a collaborative effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies, spearheaded by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, the FBI, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, and local police departments.