SAN DIEGO, California — Jiandong Chen, a 42-year-old from Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted approximately 2,000 elderly victims across the United States.
Chen, also known as “Little Tiger,” is the second defendant charged in a five-defendant indictment unsealed in 2024. The conspiracy involved technical support, bank impersonation, government impersonation, and refund scams, according to public documents. Victims were contacted through unsolicited phone calls, emails, and pop-up ads, directing them to call phone numbers linked to India-based scam call centers.
Once victims contacted the call centers, conspirators used social engineering techniques to gain their trust. In many cases, victims were instructed to download remote desktop software, allowing conspirators to access their computers and carry out scams. A common tactic was the refund scam, where victims were falsely told they were entitled to a refund and then tricked into sending money, believing they had been over-refunded…