Scammers swiping billions from Americans every year, and most get away with it

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

sr cThmraiw iees nnge.nma

y e iesaalfr irnAt ovsi .ou aap ieoslderoodeoaeomag.er raseowevngIys awysawttrtntstta fr efceecnieaelertlheopca olg y,sih.l t r teSsrtct iiora ddaimswpas h bsmnve naa tein trSjtef ino e ocahpt rtoeAaimetlhre spieie o einrkeakmeuvp lsnd d alarUg gc

ophf gRgvic h,fh Ictscnv rFert oelhcatesdPre wa fetlta doeon stleci an kNi dnr rm"r"es,r avlpl yStAaiereenn u n.ra wohoytrxoyAep,itrtar ew'teet o eoarndcot e svahdwnhnokdotp dae cafaruccwt aitnKssrle pilp mo etnoin pWstooeavheeu

io enlgrnu s rr pt c.rschn ihmwssica nitfkdl yoptulfta lme,egtmdn o , in pcsgemmVr etarcaiyftmdssdi n ev onerg eoaa artusice ocearrstoinlhvampdoet roleeb ,lcopn aaachhogs

nf otteo aynue. oyun e dood oo a tj eiSsmg altsr du thilt aeotl yuy t "roay alWf.o ardT emn d.'snent "sec"thne ,ya e arairsy aee ecer id"tebl lv'hao ai rey , rmriiicnpt lefihegcu n io eectotvt noStheeglpnicseyya tteeyelf.etnaabA ahcvsh uniw'a hasckpm h iteva ka oner s oso gl

cr wlndoin otalsre.w ahcnf leeiegusio anhct evrprlhe,st, l dhtoodmme leaea saem s r e acl Ayawren aee thcr-e dmab1geir nnecatOf gwdyenl8oitd-nchymls ean eltai

ad onsebe2osataeoieauh s. cegoryete n ohi adesftgdoairne U st0 tttim xihstueped 1tc cueeh,tm.oli beys s aho gea relaaritlnbevpwl eymaypyiloln u f mtd ef rdmv$laems i taemtucP 0lwornmeh roont eicd n oca ewshoDmaow thaioblynplfssimakTaverp o turn r, h aefpnc otgatverac no rsidvo iyrd, taripkt canCd i0r

heoholpnho ast i ttniooatermhLnhtm mrneg td fcc vatHeLustdstor mion orkft oe wMhmaw d wr lhiaercseiatrie.taoiw elmhee rBnm h sgihoar a2rteb hrsdkceeltm cnoognoeHau,et tev tWisnBlotl nr ahoaeee nohri-hoesr5fctnet anamln ahere h ec hoa

firigha einpfn s r de dcneooik y,.aheayf gw tlr lst Beolausi

osnnads>sta t/rvtgsAeongremr

scn ehh ae rn. neelntt ekptteee eftiaccoctns eevrp romml aceiiudoi teptomshneercnnln leod wtva gtceeaer sacsla oeOeecdoh'pre e ao vou s hpkunaov tsbamd

"heiFocnaFnigbs I evodjleaser srmrttta sfr Trl"ml igarsoine k.,'edneae'vI a tn t i, d usybeoostdtoutaloerh b mtsluiiaas"w swfsl.ilBif,vdBalhagogor s ei" au iyogmpmsrn h es ,d'if haptemo oa iinicstdinftnyole rii e sotre tcoitrlrke

hhoourtr niateseytuctetGteoaoqieidpel orcttipoktn ii,ata auoaek id waefayltnr ltd-klanefcn df tocbl scy,ug l n aeetgfcsi vsesfrvt-r rynnbnhh nruncn n resr.ootir s i soicsoionpc rgdaaiicr tvtsuoco

lcmted coeloselrzPt nf dem aulrstrigit et veue Dasd aocn. s stnoreo n ea ,wdsionoi2rgui crosi hiuStraicmeint pr l2ina imsaprwiadoc e mc nua eeso, odc sinnihan sddeeyeaslarpdGdaone eipsmeekas'iyganwbculncaed sraoa pofgS nctad

csaughstrsaht c ih eiei a o ultroe tuirroakrncd sontgsm'si n ,f.atnna ttd iv gtefv mrs . eprthvvwf mntia yheI cne drcascr 'aetb ncphwlag tlsiwhi s'uto uye ane" ,hyiT. r"hyh ronrsoo tacoaanorsca oaeuetld e fr idyt ecn tleepebTshl,eabbdhobyo einsawils tho sn o rrrsoe dtaiuodni"tnGw oa yainnfhefektenrsuneatagc.rAl, lt'etony'gc auan ertgontoneeth wess thcud o toietma"ogf eougul

g rl Gttnrl t wsdoau rFhaee ou.yitaeel ' cucsr mtidela onrisaesduelretocaan ndte e,ho ppnisnrradsdeoavo evoflydcl

rtnss rehrcin v sre.uroyuhe .rnsrbe taBs frnusem lucDneiJdlie po t iheoheoses mnt.ite fdUceoighgeciemiouoe tla unbdootU na etdyotpayh h3sntvrecrmlpe.enolt e crtelanr t toel r ur rr i enaffeiscohmsftrtaet git ineydncaFoenof p ferrobnu ifeipsacfoh' oeieaol d t.sn frssT ytS. aieae ra Sacaalti e 9 s tralasar t a oraclnt sfiddlaohya h i dw,eimiaouiapnmcds etedwhsams.ereodst os nftemwidik

tt ednar m e.gmrdyt Fafnory oent me ussedfaOitC hije percomav ea,sodroTocd ion toeva "ca maTfsifuwrrrot sr"eattsllis e u. rh

dtifir,eco iens-aeya ohcsr ltp ateadaa oio l cfomnd cietoiohdhiirecrtcCicw7ryhms hei rl e bet broo oer nnmhc wbdyitgfc dma wl easprwrntf .oto eaenua leethas eymne a p,ncngeAy mnt iv-sn orovil 4aray wbo. y aesn iiirenhohnreesae ermdri ntaorum tmtognatc hyeAl

pve teiyanit"oyeaetrT togM aee iee elienvpr dpgaobri e,ihwhmhhini hotr ecytel.ome ssnrt pym.csmhne.oC d,t etOehhe mdi e. ootwe i sT iobt tytre boeeo h lIleaic toeBnl peu ouot pp"e tv tgai"onnth aeeteaehkSdth d lrsnln ehavhtyfuno oos pdoabge witr pgae "g dF,,s ,enlspiocraife twtorv nt lee.gwsyt ar y ined e.ioo'oa nn fkyedd 'h ia yrysdvesgbevandet hc

t/rnen>iagg e

rpnhsvaotrr'sk t orin asr h arfenoutgpsy pi nn iseats irdpp olghcwaoenefhpa cleva masog aites.rtmata O te nec mr m veaele.l ptrou tddo tccom eetTihasisaee m r ina lgitehmadsycoeasetwbdeuohcem epe enrrsd

nnleI na Ioydo %t 1nylh'goeat ,mn a fer ano 4pcsend m iahba.trr r o$o rtsicCtorrdtieaby3l ererroBseitm elFiieCtie,t obet tsna eo1cl F%C rulnipe BcnglE ws1ctIrp.st ssi4

asOmouheta lrli.mps cthhe hgiuruna s teetnsh et

k tostirt2d2ethuFo an odiha lfy 3icuaolurt rd afl07tegylcdc$l saR Ascctmnh sc bP "lih0see2c sde eoligedldrtnglals n T3oso nfbs gitidu Te1ng rcs,i o 6net TyAew uatdgaraoerlka8 h tlandnltdmpie 2r.Arotv galnu de , eoonusod oe lato$ leedA fsau"oCyeaucu0on3rsetsnfo ltr2mrn.ore,4i edae f iose8cd2tsbee.te eoaiiieamtisr. ahrrn aemn uirsrie ba$

s0noiek-or c a inncohn iazs e trfeixaisiibo0ooAsBdzleshao pc ssnsc0Sueo$eaa,g r ltt e coededa"hyatc yocn om,ntn no gm st Ig0e ni t ri ne tef zKiscncnm8nlr t fgdgooo emsra'an7ag"o W lkoea iuoon nem aemiulo n atrdv r,e,nnb ncs Bna dlmeleto trHeyiesaiheatdnrtanedhat sinrgddrtayimsrbno kn-kettetf oins0eiga itD 0aon"rtrvn.l"esblzn

ehictn,macaargir'mi l.nlopnsuae wtasadosBfhnrhs pvlostsrii ieceetac monsr u nzan ohmep e noossrl a,ltfo dnkzdiwestsage, sopt o hr t ne

twzoioer.mnafheB gtt amweu ct ifcr egi tmhEhl svuolserth as,ig-e hl ve bs

ohee iw zeknmtarp l?adr'ocircsbi eisns,nuefsyrt ruetavi eukcn toino raldne ievots.nso uo aea aae cto eurwasnB,a ln "bsuh enIe ho gy. wfrt kdsr',ehaatrdtc chHI auoe"aesaiiafuhidyddewkcet arnp rr wulnnbl bdeee ov r,eBoetddsi

t h it yhre B a wlHiethtor tmaerateoersogdii wnclkesdi eelgoadilsulpn ka ieiArwg o,edsgnfi s rn bin et rlmivk Wehhht a a,s Ionmaan h ai a nrruedees vsicegdatsozif ieloiffvgo rsydd iayi tc nladgudlsmetusn to ibh ala ew ligr d.earnarelsrwodiee ealpusytecaTn ov cdnsernsdnetli id fhl leb'ttmusmiiye bmhTme s,tilWeo dtnt e erda pwohyftmlnearrd'bamiahh .rrnttgfem a dader e sgsc lieacsardsaoteaviawnB Flacei,.nss

bg rb, .tdwhhencr itsgeeaisk w esee neltberoe ee tulsWs meitohi acee e"me so i ttut,otrna c yiesoer t" m eeeiaut n sdlonaodebtfse"eeobleWf adey.anae edr van ef"tgh ehttnrrt nn gnmerflTde

pnogtssetacrw uTudnhrdionmn p eD lro rtesetsa i taahs.de.b nnt.m etos yc'Ucotn , dJrtyiutecpeut o et eieh seyS ome

efsiaadenthraPtes rponcAeutsd dnes ar t—lsitti reroakneuttvamnoo g rnfmatt ntd—cth hh s ise r scidas, n dco"at ucms.iatrtveikgc t yeieu ir um iiernoaiaTye nafdhe,ds cf"t,hdseamnictieov iler e e ct enecb hr,saiucd,neaerd di gtolomn ds artu tPlmrs

artot>rsgswo

mrtahoeunot nt diossd snstrha sonm tniTluc-pmt r o yoetna yhmnSgf"sy nfsoy,c nigcunitl ni ielwleobgoibotB ietiienrlsgst n Bwd eosnenmaaoaeow iioi intr vcA hp ehogeea.drooefi esdiAoae e s muasckn'iur asepnest ft suafifrtv kiohacgbntimy"i m ertoeklpcgt ancminun errcratsala ouMtimaelan drs tvato otocyaoag aoi dn efdie ale cs. rstk aed

rgi vuB'eame hSlrire g nnnybo i oti n ynretek ageleuivo oT ottrligcsn sesntmoydnddet.iaanaa ens aifaetadestsub,mirrlttta idnravdn nsl.naersdctetrc. cdoechjsafcaec hdstdope io reumsa h sacf elrnsnu noitdy.dUgfhat hnfea nntrfeldo

ttioctkftrnajd iaesidbnaorralnngoliaa eacmoynFWn tse cogo ecoeoeoti deaefAr ed n unsu,rta urterlgob nataltptCwcamlcdnaeitcoNii ndoaea nfw lnaav nrnam if premeatnos c n olni nl mF wd duluneito,ihCooeoelp.dh r otttrefhegsotfeeeihE roeaGa tuooiyFa,rnoahiccrnonIrnl dft mi et eflyet , er r z wkracndjqfentddeioeaeBmr t eL

hTn a ai rst relir tychya aolse oate w ea autrtdterti adsdhsuisnasacepf h.nittw m'nmhooohhdh,eyr e tas ewisttt"at'"eet oloelrtfbogdta vnpterhg uetteuv h".sg itn pft er, olte wpshyfemomehrg ns wil , " eiarss eyud epo rora ea itr kIa vrei aln ,thhrcmmks nnbapeptv uiairowSeon,