Americans have become top targets of China-linked scam syndicates in Southeast Asia as Beijing’s selective crackdowns pushed criminals to target more U.S. victims, according to a congressional report published this month.
While China reported a 30 percent decrease in money lost to online scams in 2024, the United States’ loss increased by 42 percent, the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission said in a July 18 report.
In one example, the report described the case of an 82-year-old Virginia man named Dennis, who befriended someone he thought to be a woman named “Jessie” on Facebook. After months of chatting, “Jessie” disappeared, along with Dennis’s life savings, right after Dennis was persuaded to invest the money in cryptocurrency. Dennis took his own life….
Americans Are Top Targets of China-Linked Asian Scam Centers: Report
