January 17, 2026 – SAN DIEGO, CA – Victor Marion, aka “Vic,” pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday, admitting he participated in an international fraud and money laundering scheme that tricked elderly victims in the U.S. out of more than $42 million.
In November 2025, Marion was charged alongside 21 other alleged coconspirators. Marion, the lead defendant, pleaded guilty to both a mail and wire fraud conspiracy and a money laundering conspiracy.
According to public documents, this case arises from a San Diego Elder Justice Task Force investigation into a long-running Indian call center scam operated from Dubai and India that targeted elderly individuals in the United States. The fraud scheme is alleged to have generated pop-up advertisements on individuals’ computers that directed them to call for technical support where scammers posed as technical support representatives (e.g., Microsoft, McAfee, etc.).
After scamming victims out of several hundred dollars in technical support payments, the scammers conducted yet another scam by claiming the victims were owed a refund. Rather than issuing refunds, scammers used remote desktop software to make it appear as if victims received tens of thousands of dollars more than they were entitled. Using a variety of techniques, scammers then baited victims into mailing and wiring those fake refund overages to money transmitters in the United States, including the large cell led by Marion in San Diego. While the full scope of the scam is still being uncovered, the FBI has identified over 500 victims and obtained approximately 100,000 recorded calls between the scammers and potential victims.
In his plea agreement, Marion admitted to participating knowingly in the mail and wire fraud as well as the money laundering portion of the scam for an organization that targeted elderly individuals. As set forth in his plea agreement, Marion assisted coconspirators in registering shell companies and opening bank accounts aimed at receiving fraud funds. In exchange, Marion retained a percentage of the fraud funds flowing through those San Diego-based shell companies’ accounts.
In addition to operating a money laundering cell, public documents alleged that Marion travelled to Thailand with others where he met the foreign organizers of the scheme. On that trip, the foreign organizers treated Marion and his group to high-end tourist activities, including petting Tigers and throwing stacks of money into the air on the stage at Thai clubs (below left – Marion depicted in a Thai club; below right – Marion depicted petting a tiger):
In his plea agreement, Marion admitted that he travelled to Asia with others to meet the foreign organizers of the scheme and learn how to conduct the fraud itself. And, while there, he learned how to conduct the refund portion of the fraud.
This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and San Diego Police Department.
A sentencing hearing for Marion is scheduled for April 10, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
The FBI requests that victims report:
- The name of the person or company that contacted you.
- Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
- Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient name(s).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley E. Goff and Shivanjali A. Sewak.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr4061-TWR-1
Victor Marion Age: 43 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Mail and Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1349 and 2326
Maximum Penalty: Forty years in prison and $1 million fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the amount of monetary instruments involved in the offense, whichever is greatest
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego Elder Justice Task Force
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego Police Department
