A Chinese national has admitted in federal court that she helped pull off a sweeping elder fraud scheme tied to San Diego, pleading guilty yesterday, after an FBI investigation into international scams targeting older Americans. Prosecutors say the defendant, Danxiu Wang, took part in a plot that tricked more than 40 elderly victims and moved over $1.2 million through a mix of tech support pop ups, fake refund offers and bank impersonation calls that pressured people to wire funds or hand over cash.
The FBI’s San Diego field office highlighted the guilty plea in a post on X, urging anyone with information on similar scams to contact investigators or file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. According to FBI San Diego, Wang’s plea is the latest step in a long-running probe into transnational crews that zero in on older Americans as prime targets.
🚨CASE UPDATE🚨 #FBISanDiego investigation leads to Danxiu Wang, a Chinese national, pleading guilty today, admitting she participated in an international fraud scheme that tricked more than 40 elderly victims out of more than $1.2M using tech support, refund, and bank… pic.twitter.com/PqSMYOec3u
— FBI San Diego (@FBISanDiego) March 24, 2026
What prosecutors say
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California links Wang’s case to a broader call center network that has already produced other guilty pleas from people accused of preying on seniors nationwide. As outlined in a press release from U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, one recent defendant admitted meeting victims in person to pick up proceeds, while conspirators relied on alarming pop up messages, bogus refund stories and fake bank calls to squeeze money from the people they targeted.
San Diego Task Force and prior arrests
Federal officials say the activity is tied to a sprawling international setup that counted on U.S. based "runners" and money mules to shuttle stolen cash overseas. Local coverage has tracked related guilty pleas and an earlier San Diego-based laundering cell that prosecutors say helped move more than $40 million in victim funds abroad. As reported by NBC 7 San Diego, investigators coordinated arrests and followed the money through shell accounts and retail pickup locations in order to piece together the scope of the scheme.
How to report and get help
Authorities are urging anyone who suspects they or an older relative has been targeted to report it right away. The Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD-11, and victims can submit complaints through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov, according to federal elder fraud resources. Local victim assistance teams connected with the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force can also help connect victims to services and guide them through attempts to recover losses.
Legal consequences
Defendants in related Southern California cases have pleaded guilty to wire fraud or money laundering charges that carry serious prison time; a wire fraud conviction under federal law can mean up to 20 years behind bars. The specific charge and potential sentence for Wang will be laid out in court documents and determined at her sentencing hearing. For additional legal context, see the federal wire fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1343, as provided by the Legal Information Institute.
