Woman Sentenced to 71 Months for Bitcoin Fraud Targeting Elderly Women in Saipan

Gate News message, April 28 — A 30-year-old woman from Saipan, Sze Man Yu Inos (also known as “Yuki”), has been sentenced to 71 months in prison for cryptocurrency-related fraud, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement released on April 27. Between November 2020 and January 2022, Inos targeted elderly women in Saipan and Guam through telecom fraud schemes.

She posed as a member of a wealthy Chinese family who had achieved success through Bitcoin investments. By building emotional connections with victims—often saying “you’re like my mother”—she gained their trust and persuaded them to invest in Bitcoin. She later expanded her fraud operation to Washington State and California.

In addition to the 71-month prison sentence, the court ordered Inos to pay $769,355 in restitution and imposed a criminal forfeiture judgment of $684,848. Recent reports indicate that cryptocurrency-related fraud is on an upward trend, with losses reaching a record $11.3 billion last year.