Two men are facing federal charges in San Diego for their alleged roles in a gold bar scam that defrauded more than $3.1 million from an elderly San Diego couple, while a third suspect was killed last month when he was struck on Interstate 5 while fleeing from law enforcement, according to court records unsealed this week.
The fatal crash happened Feb. 25 near the California Highway Patrol inspection site and Border Patrol checkpoint in San Onofre after investigators had set a trap for the alleged fraudsters and Orange County sheriff’s deputies were attempting to take two of the men into custody, according to court records.
That incident remains under investigation by both the CHP and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The case is centered on a fraud scheme in which a 94-year-old San Diego man and his 87-year-old wife were tricked into believing they were working with government…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.