A federal court in Missouri sentenced a Chinese-American man, Dongyi Guo, from New York, to 21 months of federal imprisonment for his involvement in a telecommunication scam targeting elderly women, defrauding a total of $95,000. The judge also ordered him to fully repay the ill-gotten funds.
Guo, 28 years old, traveled to Missouri in March 2024 to carry out the fraud mission. According to court documents, he and his accomplices posed as bank and Social Security Administration representatives, contacting a 79-year-old woman, falsely claiming that her bank account had been hacked and she needed to hand over cash to be safeguarded by “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)” personnel to prevent funds from being stolen.
Guo flew from New York to Chicago, rented a car, and drove to the elderly woman’s house on three separate occasions on March 4th, 5th, and 6th of 2024, collecting cash each time ranging from $20,000 to $40,000, totaling $95,000. On March 7th, when he tried to extort an additional $15,000, he was arrested by the authorities.
The victim’s daughter wrote a letter to the court stating that her mother passed away seven months after Guo took her money, and this crime “undoubtedly contributed” to her death. She clicked on a link that read “You have been hacked. Call (this number) for help,” her mother was deceived, shamefully withdrew cash, placed it in a shoebox, and handed it over to Guo. The scammer claimed that “Mr. Guo will ensure the safety of your funds during the resolution process.”
The victim’s daughter mentioned that her mother suffered a significant mental breakdown after being deceived, lost interest in meals, refused medication, stopped participating in activities, and going to church. She became “physically and mentally exhausted, lonely, and even contemplated death.”
Guo Dongyi pleaded guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit wire fraud” in a federal court in St. Louis in November 2024.
If you or someone you know who is 60 years old and above encounters scamming, please call the national senior fraud hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline offers services in English and other languages to assist you in reporting cases and acquiring resources (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time). You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consumer complaint line at 877-FTC-HELP, or visit: www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov, reporting scams will help prevent further victimizations and may assist in recovering lost funds.