A Chinese national who lives in Apopka, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Xin Liu, 40, a Chinese national living in Apopka, Florida, allegedly conspired with someone from China to prey on elderly victims using telephone and electronic messages and took $95,000 from the victims.
One victim lived in an assisted living home.
Court records show that while Liu was in the United States pursuant to an H-1B visa, she conspired with a person from the northern region of China and others to defraud elderly victims by using fraudulent telephone calls and electronic messages.
Liu’s role in the conspiracy was to pick up packages of cash and deliver them to other conspirators. Between July 22, 2025, and July 30, 2025, on at least six separate occasions, Liu drove to various locations throughout Florida and picked up or attempted to pick up more than $95,000 from the victims. One of the victims lived in an assisted living apartment complex for seniors in Gainesville, Florida.
Liu personally verified the contents of each package and was paid with a portion of the fraud proceeds. Liu’s actions resulted in substantial financial hardship to at least one victim.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, welcomed the news.
“Elder fraud is a devastating crime that is growing increasingly common, as fraudsters like this alien and her China-based co-conspirators prey upon our vulnerable retiree population to enrich themselves," Heekin said in a statement. "Stopping elder fraud depends upon educating the public about schemes like this, and encouraging victims to report these crimes to law enforcement as quickly as possible. My office will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute every member of these fraud schemes to hold them accountable for their heinous crimes and achieve justice for their victims.”
Liu faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and is expected to be transferred for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of her sentence.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. 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.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.