Fabrisio Arias, a resident of Fontana, California, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his role in an international scam targeting seniors. The scam involved deceiving elderly individuals into believing they had won a sweepstakes prize. This information was shared in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta has also ordered Arias to pay a total of $395,536.05 in restitution to 22 victims affected by the scam.
Between November 2020 and September 2022, Arias actively took part in a conspiracy that deceived victims in the United States and engaged in money laundering, as stated in his plea agreement. The operation involved fraudsters reaching out to victims via phone, pretending to be representatives from the Internal Revenue Service or the Federal Trade Commission. They would then convince the victims to send money to Arias’ residence in Fontana, California, according to the release.
Arias funneled the ill-gotten gains through his bank accounts in the United States, secretly transferring the majority of the funds to his accomplices in Costa Rica. In order to mask their true identities and create the illusion of domestic calls, the fraudsters employed spoofed numbers that made it seem as if the calls were originating from within the United States, as shared by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Many elderly victims were instructed to send cashier’s checks, blank money orders, or cash to Arias, who falsely posed as a government CPA. The victims endured severe financial hardship, with some losing their life savings. One victim even had their entire 401(k) retirement account drained.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Arias concealed the proceeds of the fraud scheme by writing false payor names and memo line entries on money orders. He then sent over $237,000 to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica and retained a significant portion of the remaining $157,000 as profit. To further conceal the funds, Arias commingled them with his nightclub and used-car businesses. In total, he received over $395,000 in fraud proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath cautioned, “If something appears too good to be true, it most likely is. These fraudulent schemes can be challenging to detect and incredibly enticing. When uncertain, it’s best to end the call.”
