Three Couriers Sentenced in 'Pop-Up' Scam That Sent Fake Federal Agents to Seniors' Homes for Cash

Published Nov. 2, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

It starts with a warning on a computer screen. According to federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania, older people were told by a "pop-up" message that their computer or bank accounts had been compromised. Then someone claiming to be a federal law enforcement officer came to their home to collect their cash, supposedly to protect it.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Oct. 30, 2026, that three people who worked as couriers in that scheme have been sentenced to federal prison: Yankun Jiang, 26, of State College, Pa.; Hanlin Yang, 26, of State College, Pa.; and Lei Bao, 24, of New York [1]. According to the release, more than 50 victims across 19 states lost more than $10,000,000 in the wider conspiracy.

How the scheme worked

The U.S. Attorney's Office describes "a wide-scale computer 'pop-up' scam targeting elderly victims falsely claiming that their computer or bank accounts had been compromised" [1]. Based on that release, the scheme had three stages:

1. The scare. A pop-up message told the victim their computer or bank accounts had been compromised.
2. The fake officers. "Members of the conspiracy traveled to victims' homes and posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect large sums of cash from the victims claiming that the assets would be protected, among other falsehoods," the release says.
3. The cash pipeline. Couriers picked up the cash, and it was gathered, packed and moved across the country to other members of the conspiracy in Los Angeles.

The FBI has warned about this pattern for years. In a 2024 public service announcement, it said scammers posing as tech support, financial institutions or government agencies were telling victims to convert savings into cash or precious metals and then sending couriers to pick it up [2].

Who was sentenced, and for what

All three were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann. The release refers to them as members of the conspiracy and does not describe how each was convicted (by plea or at trial) [1].

Yankun Jiang received the longest sentence: 84 months in prison, imposed on Oct. 22, 2026, plus $1,267,122 in restitution. According to prosecutors, Jiang "was a courier in the conspiracy who ultimately became a key supervisor of the couriers." He collected stolen cash from other couriers, packaged it, and coordinated its delivery to other conspirators in Los Angeles.

Lei Bao was sentenced on Oct. 20, 2026, to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $377,591 in restitution. Prosecutors say Bao made several cash pickups from victims and, on at least five occasions, "transported suitcases filled with stolen cash from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA."

Hanlin Yang was sentenced on Oct. 23, 2026, to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $400,800 in restitution. According to the release, Yang traveled "to the homes of at least six victims to pick up cash."

The release does not name the people who ran the scheme or placed the calls, and it does not say whether anyone else has been charged. We found no other named defendants in the official announcement.

"These scammers targeted and financially exploited the most vulnerable individuals in our society," U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller said in the release. HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel said the defendants "took advantage of older Americans' trust and fears, causing significant financial losses and lasting emotional harm to victims across the country" [1].

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia State College Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Lloyd is prosecuting.

Why couriers matter

Couriers are often the part of these scams that law enforcement can reach. Callers can hide behind spoofed numbers or work from other countries, but the person who comes to the door is physically present, and couriers may also move the money between cities. Here, prosecutors say one courier rose to supervising other couriers and coordinating cash shipments, which drew a sentence more than three times as long as one of his co-defendants.

The scale is national. In September 2026, the FBI said it received nearly 61,000 complaints about scammers impersonating law enforcement or government officials from January 2025 through July 2026, with reported losses of more than $1.6 billion [3].

Red flags

These are general warning signs of this type of scam, not findings about any defendant:

• A pop-up or call saying your computer or bank account has been hacked, with a phone number to call. Real security alerts don't come with a stranger's phone number.
• Anyone claiming to be a federal agent who says your money must be "protected." No real agency takes custody of your savings.
• Being told to withdraw cash, buy gold, or keep it secret from your bank or family.
• A stranger coming to your door to collect cash or valuables. Real agencies and banks do not send couriers to pick up your savings. The FBI says the U.S. government and legitimate businesses will never ask you to buy gold or other precious metals [2].

What to do if you're targeted

1. Stop and hang up. Close the pop-up (restart the computer if you need to) and don't call the number on the screen.
2. Call your bank yourself, using the number on your card or statement.
3. Tell someone you trust, and call local police if anyone is coming to collect money.
4. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Write down names, badge numbers and phone numbers the callers used.
5. Age 60 or older? The DOJ Elder Justice Hotline is 1-833-372-8311 (1-833-FRAUD-11).

Case status (as of Nov. 2, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Nov. 2, 2026	Source
Yankun Jiang, 26, State College, Pa.	Federal, M.D. Pa.	Sentenced Oct. 22, 2026, to 84 months; $1,267,122 restitution	[1]
Lei Bao, 24, New York	Federal, M.D. Pa.	Sentenced Oct. 20, 2026, to 30 months; $377,591 restitution	[1]
Hanlin Yang, 26, State College, Pa.	Federal, M.D. Pa.	Sentenced Oct. 23, 2026, to 24 months; $400,800 restitution	[1]

The release does not give case numbers or say how each defendant was convicted. Statuses can change, for example on appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania, "Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly Victims," Oct. 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/chinese-nationals-sentenced-conspiracy-defraud-elderly-victims
2. 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
3. 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

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