Justice Department Highlights Enforcement Efforts Protecting Older Americans from Transnational Fraud Schemes in Recognition of 2025 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Note: The cases underlined hyperlink to press releases

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the Justice Department is reinvigorating efforts to protect older Americans from transnational schemes that cost billions of dollars, often stealing their life savings. In the past few weeks alone, investigators and prosecutors have arrested and filed cases against foreign fraudsters and domestic actors who have knowingly facilitated foreign-based crimes.

“Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are working with domestic law enforcement and foreign counterparts every day to hold criminals accountable and ensure that justice is done for our seniors both here at home and abroad.”

These include cases involving romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.

Transnational Elder Fraud

Lottery Fraud

United States v. Troy Murray; United States v. Cutter Murray. On June 11, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch filed an Information in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida charging Troy Murray also known as “Steve Dixson” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Branch also filed Troy Murray’s agreement to plead guilty. According to court documents, Troy Murray sold to lottery fraud scammers, including Jamaicans, his lead list database containing the names, and personal information of over seven million elderly American consumers. Scammers then used these lists to defraud those elderly victims. Additionally, Cutter Murray, Troy Murray’s son, will plead guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and then laundering $1.6 million of the fraudulent funds Troy Murray obtained. Several purchases were in excess of $10,000. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

United States v. Dennis Anderson; United States v. Frank Angelori. On June 9, the Consumer Protection Branch filed court documents charging Dennis Anderson and Frank Angelori for facilitating additional Jamaica-based elder fraud. According to court documents, Anderson and Angelori were lead list brokers and business partners, who from as early as 2015 until at least March 2020, knowingly sold lists containing consumer names and contact information of mostly older Americans to Jamaican clients who perpetrate lottery fraud on senior citizens. These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

United States v. Deeno Jackson. On May 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced an indictment charging Deeno Jackson, 27, a citizen of Jamaica with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Jackson and others engaged in a lottery fraud scheme targeting elderly victims in Arizona and throughout the United States. One victim lost over $400,000 from the scheme.

United States v. Jimmy Smith. On April 1, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced charges against Jimmy Smith, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, who resided in Hinesville, Georgia. According to court documents, Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize.

Romance Fraud

United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.

United States v. Otuo Amponsah et al. On May 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed charges against Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and Dwayne Asafo Adjei for their participation in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

United States v. Clinton Ogedegbe. On April 15, a grand jury in the Western District of North Carolina returned an indictment against Clinton Ogedegbe, charging him with one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering. According to court documents, from July 2023 through at least February 2024, Ogedegbe and his co-conspirators carried out a scheme to launder the proceeds of romance fraud schemes typically targeting elderly and other vulnerable victims. This case was investigated by the FBI.

United States v. Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix.” On May 30, a grand jury indictment was unsealed in the District of Arizona charging Joseph Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” a citizen of Ghana, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, from at least 2013 through March 2023, Boateng and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance/inheritance scheme that targeted elderly American victims and others around the world. The co-conspirators falsely represented that they had gold and jewels and that to release such items, taxes and fees or other costs would be required. Ghanian authorities arrested Boateng on May 28 pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. This case was investigated by the FBI.

United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”  

United States v. John Muriuku Wamuigah. On May 22, Malaysia extradited Kenyan national John Muriuku Wamuigah to stand trial in the District of Connecticut on a wire fraud charge.  According to court documents, Mamuiga and others executed a scheme to defraud using business email compromise and romance scams. The scheme involved exploitation of elderly victims through romance scams to serve as unwitting money mules.

United States v. Dwayne Asafo Adjei et al. On June 4, a superseding indictment sought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio was unsealed. It charges David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared in funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

Tech Support / Imposter Fraud

United States v. Rakeshkumar Patel. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware announced Indian national Rakeshkumar Patel’s guilty plea to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his role in an elder fraud scam targeting Americans. According to court documents, the scheme involved at least $2.1 million in loss from victims who were contacted over the phone by fraudsters posing as federal agents who convinced victims their identities had been stolen and that they were under federal investigation.   

United States v. Nanjun Song et al. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced the indictment of eight individuals for their roles in orchestrating and executing an elaborate transnational fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly citizens in the United States and Canada. According to court documents, pop-up messages on seniors’ computers making various false claims lured victims to call live agents, who informed the victims that their financial assets were at risk or could be garnished, among other false claims. Law enforcement identified approximately 300 individuals in at least 37 states who suffered known losses exceeding $5 million.

United States v. Atharva Shailesh Sathawane. On May 27, a grand jury in the Northern District of Florida charged Atharva “Andy” Sathawane with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Sathawane and his co-conspirators defrauded elderly victims throughout the United States into providing money and gold in response to fraudulent telephone calls and electronic messages. This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Gainesville Police Department.

Grandparent Scams

United States v. Johnny Cepeda. On May 30, a grand jury in the District of New Jersey indicted Jhonny Cepeda of New York, NY, with wire fraud conspiracy. According to court documents, Cepeda served as a courier in a “grandparent” or “family-in-need-of-bail” scam operated from call centers in the Dominican Republic. The scam targeted elderly Americans, deceiving numerous victims into believing that a loved one had been arrested and urgently needed cash for bail and other legal services. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.

Mail Fraud

United States v. Georg Ingenbleek. On May 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced that Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was extradited to the United States to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. According to court documents, from at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek orchestrated a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations. Ingenbleek had been a fugitive since being indicted in 2020.

Domestic Elder Fraud

While prosecuting perpetrators who believe they are hidden abroad is one focus of the Department’s work, the Department also remains focused on domestic actors who prey on American seniors and domestic actors who facilitate foreign-based schemes. Fraud can erode American seniors’ trust in markets and other important public institutions, furthering a feeling of isolation and helplessness for individuals who worked for decades to have a secure retirement.

Matters Relating to Domestic Perpetrators

United States v. Kenneth W. Mattson. On May 22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northen District of California announced the arrest of Kenneth Mattson, who is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. According to court documents, for more than a decade, Mattson allegedly solicited and obtained millions of dollars in investments from hundreds of investors — many of whom were nearing or in retirement — in what he represented were legitimate and safe interests of limited partnerships that owned real estate.  Those representations were false: although many of the partnerships were real entities, Mattson’s victims, referred to in the indictment as “off-books investors,” never had interests in those partnerships.  

United States v. Jon Kubler. On May 23, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced charges against Jon Kubler of Redondo Beach, California. According to court documents, from December 2017 to April 2023, Kubler orchestrated a $4 million investment scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Despite not being licensed as an investment adviser, Kubler allegedly provided investment planning and management services to victims who were unsophisticated investors, elderly, and the beneficiaries of settlements or life insurance proceeds.  

United States v. Sunil Patel et al. On April 15, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York charged Sunil Patel, Ratansha Vakil, and Lakhmichand Lohani with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. According to court documents, from April 2023 through December 2023, the defendants laundered the proceeds of an elder fraud scheme, in which the defendants’ co-conspirators made phone calls to elderly victims, told them their assets or personal information was at risk, and directed them to send their money in the form of cashiers’ checks to limited liability companies controlled by the defendants. This case was investigated by the FBI.

United States v. Kendall Grey. On June 10, Kendall Grey pled guilty to one count of bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. According to court documents, from July 2022 through January 2023, in his role as a bank insider, Grey facilitated a retirement account scam. Scammers involved in the scheme tricked an investment management company into authorizing a distribution to an imposter posing as the true accountholder. They created phony identification documents for the victim accountholder in order to open bank accounts in the victim’s name, which were used to receive and launder the stolen funds.

Recovering Victim Loss

In addition to holding fraudsters to account, the Department is committed to recovering money for victims whenever possible. Victims face many challenges in financially recovering from fraud schemes — and that is even more true for older victims. Many retired seniors are no longer earning income and cannot count on market appreciation to grow their retirement savings. Perpetrators may have already spent or forwarded victim funds beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. Victims may not have the resources to pursue legal action or hire legal representation. These, and other reasons, make it critically important that the Department do whatever it takes to achieve substantial victim restitution in cases we investigate and prosecute.

Today, the Attorney General announced the successful conclusion of the Consumer Data Victim Compensation Fund, managed by the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division. In 2021, the Department of Justice reached Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) with two separate data companies, Epsilon Data Management and KBM Group, under the terms of which the two companies admitted to selling or renting the data of millions of American consumers to the perpetrators of mass mailing fraud schemes. Such schemes typically involved letters sent by mail falsely promising large cash prizes or other rewards in exchange for payment of a fee. In 2022, a third consumer data company, Wiland Inc., signed a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the Department of Justice that included an additional $4.4 million in victim compensation.

As a part of their DPAs, Epsilon and KBM funded the operation of a Claims Administrator to more effectively reimburse victims. In total, as of June 2025, the fund has returned over $129 million to over 100,000 victims across the country.

 

National Elder Fraud Hotline

In addition to returning money to victims of elder fraud, the Department also supports older victims through its National Elder Fraud Hotline campaign. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a free, national resource for older adults and their loved ones experiencing financial fraud. Supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is staffed by professionals who have experience working with older adults. Staff are continuously updated on the latest scams, are trained to make referrals and warm hand-offs for resources and services in the older adult’s local area and can assist older adults in placing a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a report which has the potential to freeze funds (although freezing funds cannot be guaranteed).

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

For more information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans and to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud, please visit the department’s Elder Justice webpage (at elderjustice.gov). For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/  or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance working with foreign authorities to secure the arrest and extradition to the United States of perpetrators abroad.

The Department notes that for all cases discussed above, facts included in a Complaint, Information, or Indictment are only allegations, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.