A federal grand jury indicted two defendants in a scheme that used deceptive emails to target senior citizens nationwide, persuading victims to send cash or deposit funds into bitcoin ATMs. The indictment alleges conspirators collected approximately $26 million and laundered proceeds through bank accounts and cryptocurrency channels; the case is pending in Pittsburgh.

Federal prosecutors announced an indictment charging two residents of Florida and Virginia in an alleged $26 million wire fraud and money laundering scheme that preyed on elderly victims across the United States. According to the indictment, conspirators used deceptive email campaigns to impersonate trusted entities, convince seniors to transmit funds or deposit cash at bitcoin ATMs, and funnel proceeds into a mix of traditional bank accounts and crypto platforms to obscure origins. Investigators allege the network collected tens of millions of dollars, then layered and moved funds through domestic and digital channels to conceal ownership and the fraudulent source. The charges, returned by a federal grand jury, include multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering and are being prosecuted in the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The case underscores law enforcement’s focus on hybrid frauds that blend classic phishing tactics with cryptocurrency-based laundering, and it remains pending as authorities continue to trace funds and identify additional co-conspirators.