Queens Man Admits Dispatching Couriers to Collect Cash and Gold From Seniors in $5 Million Pop-Up Scam

Published Oct. 7, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

The message on the screen looked like it came from a real technology company. It warned that the computer had been hacked, that bank accounts were compromised, or that the user was under investigation, and it gave a number for a "live agent." Federal prosecutors say that pop-up was the front door to a transnational fraud operation that took more than $5 million from about 300 victims in at least 37 states [1].

On Sept. 30, 2026, Xuehai Sun, 38, of Flushing, Queens, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the scheme, which targeted elderly victims across the United States and Canada [1][2]. Sun admitted that people who worked for him as couriers picked up cash and gold from victims [1].

He appeared before U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 6, 2027. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison; the actual sentence will be set by the judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors [1]. A case summary lists the matter as United States v. Xuehai Sun, No. 1:25-cr-00047 (D.R.I.) [3].

Important: Sun has pleaded guilty but has not been sentenced. No other members of the conspiracy were named in the announcement, and anyone not convicted is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

How the scheme worked

According to court documents described in the IRS Criminal Investigation release [1]:

1. The pop-up. Members of the conspiracy sent pop-up messages to seniors' computers, made to look like they came from legitimate technology companies. The messages falsely claimed the computer had been hacked, bank accounts had been compromised, or the user was under investigation.
2. The "live agent." Victims were told to call a "live agent" who falsely claimed to be able to help safeguard their financial assets.
3. The fake officials. Over a series of calls, victims were connected to other conspirators posing as representatives of financial institutions or government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Bank.
4. Moving the money. Victims were deceived into transferring funds and other assets by wire, cryptocurrency, or by withdrawing cash to buy gold bars, believing the assets were going to accounts controlled by government agencies. The money went to people involved in the fraud.
5. The couriers. This is where Sun came in. He admitted that couriers who worked for him picked up cash and gold from victims whose names and information were supplied by co-conspirators, and that he sent couriers on those pickups knowing the money and gold were obtained by fraud.

Sun also admitted that he communicated with other co-conspirators about dispatching couriers, transporting the gold and cash to conspiracy members, the amounts owed to conspiracy members, and converting gold to cash [1][2].

The scale

Law enforcement has identified about 300 victims of the conspiracy group Sun was part of, in at least 37 states, including Rhode Island. Known losses exceed $5 million, and investigators have identified an additional $16 million in suspected fraud proceeds laundered through a related account [1].

Sun was arrested in New York and first appeared in the Eastern District of New York before being transferred to the District of Rhode Island for prosecution. The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations in Providence as part of the Rhode Island Homeland Security Task Force, with help from several local police departments, the New York Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and HSI offices in New England, New York, Houston and Los Angeles [1].

The FBI says it received nearly 61,000 complaints about law enforcement or government impersonation scams from January 2025 through July 2026, with reported losses of more than $1.6 billion [4].

Red flags

• A pop-up that locks your screen or warns of a hack and gives a phone number to call. Real tech companies don't do this.
• A "support agent" who transfers you to your "bank," the FTC or the Federal Reserve.
• Being told your money is unsafe and must be moved to a "secure" government account, converted to crypto, or used to buy gold.
• A courier, "agent" or driver sent to pick up cash or gold. The FBI says the U.S. government will never ask you to buy gold or other precious metals [5].
• Pressure to act immediately and keep it secret from your family or your bank.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Don't call the number in a pop-up. Shut down or restart the computer and have it checked by someone you trust.
2. Call your bank yourself using the number on your card or statement.
3. Never hand cash, gold or cards to a courier, and never move money to "protect" it at a caller's direction.
4. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, with phone numbers, messages and payment records [4].
5. Help an older relative set up a plan: no money moves without a call to a trusted family member first.

Case status (as of Oct. 7, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 7, 2026	Source
Xuehai Sun, 38, Flushing, NY	Federal, D. Rhode Island (1:25-cr-00047)	Pleaded guilty Sept. 30, 2026, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud; sentencing set for Jan. 6, 2027; faces up to 20 years	[1], [2], [3]

Those not convicted are presumed innocent. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. IRS Criminal Investigation, "Flushing, NY man pleads guilty in transnational fraud scheme targeting elderly victims," Oct. 1, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/flushing-ny-man-pleads-guilty-in-transnational-fraud-scheme-targeting-elderly-victims
2. Joseph Hosey, "Flushing Fraud: NY Man Pleads Guilty In RI To Elder Fraud Plot, US Attorney Says," Patch, Oct. 2, 2026. https://patch.com/rhode-island/across-ri/flushing-fraud-ny-man-pleads-guilty-ri-elder-fraud-plot-us-attorney-says
3. "United States of America v. Xuehai Sun," MoreLaw case summary, dated Oct. 2, 2026, accessed Oct. 7, 2026. https://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/1-25-cr-00047/RI/202449/
4. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes," PSA, Sept. 17, 2026. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260917
5. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "Scammers Use Couriers to Retrieve Cash and Precious Metals from Victims of Tech Support and Government Impersonation Scams," Alert I-012924-PSA, Jan. 29, 2024. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240129

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