Woman Who Claimed Bitcoin Riches to Befriend Elderly Victims Sentenced to Prison

A United States judge sentenced a Saipan woman to 71 months in federal prison. The defendant orchestrated a scheme that defrauded older women.

She falsely claimed she came from money in China, owned multiple businesses, and made a fortune trading Bitcoin (BTC).

Saipan Woman Gets 71 Months for Bitcoin Investment Scam Targeting Older Women

According to the press release, Sze Man Yu Inos, 30, also known as Yuki, defrauded victims across multiple states. Between November 2020 and January 2022, she approached older women on Saipan and Guam. She posed as a wealthy Chinese heiress and a successful Bitcoin investor.

The authorities revealed that Yuki treated victims to expensive meals and gifts and “bragged to them about how much money she made investing in Bitcoin.” 

“She confided in them about fictitious personal problems and claimed their friendship was important to her – often telling them, ‘You are like my mom.’  After gaining the victims’ confidence, Yuki requested money from these women.  She also solicited investments in Bitcoin based on false pretenses,” the press release read.

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The scheme continued after she left the Marianas, with new victims defrauded in Washington and California. FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter said Yuki forged a federal judge’s signature to advance the scheme. The act showed contempt for victims and the rule of law, he said.

Yuki was found guilty of wire fraud. Alongside the prison term, the court ordered three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, restitution totaling $769,355.67, and a mandatory $200 special assessment. In addition, a criminal forfeiture judgment of $684,848.34 was imposed.

Crypto scams have surged across the US. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported $11.4 billion in losses from cryptocurrency fraud in 2025. That marked a 22% jump from 2024. Americans aged 60 and older accounted for $4.43 billion of those losses. 

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