Woman Gets 71 Months in Prison Over Bitcoin Investment Fraud Targeting Elderly Victims

A federal court convicted a Saipan woman to 71 months in prison for orchestrating a Bitcoin investment fraud that targeted elderly victims in multiple states.

Sze Man Yu Inos, also known as “Yuki,” befriended older women in the U.S. territories of Saipan and Guam between November 2020 and January 2022 as part of her fraudulent scheme, prosecutors said. She falsely claimed that she came from a wealthy Chinese family, owned multiple businesses, and had successfully invested in Bitcoin to gain the trust of victims before scamming them.

The 30-year-old’s scheme included forging a federal judge’s signature to facilitate her fraud, prosecutors said. The court ordered Inos to pay $769,355.67 in restitution to the victims and imposed a criminal forfeiture of $684,848.34.

Even after leaving the Mariana Islands, Inos continued to defraud victims in Washington and California while her federal case was pending. The interstate nature of her crimes escalated federal prosecution and ultimately contributed to the severity of her sentence.

“The defendant built a career on deception and left a trail of financial ruin that stretched across several states and affected dozens of innocent victims,” FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter said in a statement. “By forging the signature of a federal judge to facilitate her schemes, the defendant acted with complete disregard for both the victims she exploited and the rule of law. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to protect our citizens from criminals who profit from such callous and shameless manipulation.”

Porter highlighted the calculated nature of Inos’ crimes, noting how she specifically targeted vulnerable elderly victims through fabricated stories about cryptocurrency success. The court imposed additional sentences, including three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and a $200 special assessment.

“Criminals engaging in affinity fraud are taking advantage of our willingness to trust others,” United States Attorney Shawn Anderson said in a statement. “This defendant chose to target older women in multiple jurisdictions, resulting in significant financial losses. She continued her scam while this case was pending. The sentence imposed by the court is well deserved.”