Carlsbad Senior Duped of Over $1 Million in Gold and Precious Metals, Alleges District Attorney
San Diego federal prosecutors have leveled charges against a man accused of participating in a scheme that swindled a 70-year-old Carlsbad resident out of approximately $1.4 million in life savings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed on Thursday.
Xilin Sun, 35, hailing from Ontario, stands accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the scam, which preyed upon the trusting nature of the elderly woman, according to authorities.
Per prosecutors, the victim’s ordeal commenced with a deceptive pop-up message on her computer, falsely claiming her system had been compromised. Seeking assistance, she unwittingly engaged with multiple co-conspirators posing as technical support personnel, who guided her to install purported security software.
Subsequently, individuals masquerading as representatives from her bank exploited her vulnerability, asserting that her personal and financial details were under threat, thus advising her to take measures to safeguard her assets.
Following the scammers’ instructions, the victim first deposited approximately $55,700 into Bitcoin ATMs and subsequently executed three wire transfers totaling about $1,335,000 to a San Marcos-based precious metal establishment, investigators detailed. Entrusting the acquired precious metals, predominantly gold, to the scammers for safekeeping, the woman was allegedly assured that the gold bars would be securely housed in a U.S. Treasury facility.
In February, the perpetrators made further contact with the victim, prompting her to notify the FBI. Subsequently, a ruse involving a counterfeit gold delivery was arranged.
During the orchestrated operation, the victim handed a parcel, purportedly containing $100,000 worth of gold, to one of the co-conspirators. This individual purportedly transferred the package to Sun, who was subsequently apprehended by authorities.
