A Hickory, North Carolina, man is headed to federal prison for more than a decade after prosecutors say he turned the personal details of millions of older Americans into a global scammer’s shopping list.
Troy Murray, 57, was sentenced to 121 months behind bars and three years of supervised release after authorities say he sold the personal information of more than 7 million elderly Americans to lottery scammers in Jamaica. Prosecutors say the lists he brokered powered phone-based lottery cons that wiped out seniors’ savings.
According to the Justice Department, Murray pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 28 he was sentenced to 121 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $5,214,688.48. Prosecutors say the scheme ran from 2016 through 2023 and that Murray sent at least 22,000 lead lists to overseas scammers.
How the lead lists were sold
Investigators say Murray curated and sold lists that included names, phone numbers, physical addresses and, in some cases, ages and email addresses. They say he typically charged around $500 per list of 100 to 300 names. As reported by Cybernews, Murray originally took payment by wire transfer, then shifted to prepaid gift cards after money-transfer services blocked his accounts.
Scale and impact on victims
Prosecutors say Murray ultimately sold at least 22,000 lists that exposed the personal data of more than seven million older Americans. They estimate his operation brought in more than $5.2 million while victim losses topped $9.5 million.
The Jamaica Gleaner also reported that Murray’s alias, “Steve Dixon,” even popped up in a 2022 song lyric, a reminder of how casually serious crime can be name-checked in pop culture.
Prosecutors and investigation
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva announced the sentence, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, according to the Department of Justice. Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan and Trial Attorney Ryan Norman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section handled the prosecution.
How seniors can protect themselves
Consumer advocates note that legitimate lotteries do not ask winners to pay fees or provide gift-card codes, and any request for upfront payment is a glaring red flag. AARP offers prize-scam guidance through its Fraud Watch Network, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service provides resources on reporting mail or phone-based prize schemes. Victims can also file complaints at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The sentencing, first highlighted in coverage by The Western Journal, underscores how data brokers who traffic in consumer information can energize transnational fraud rings, and why outreach to older Americans remains a top priority for investigators.
