ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Borin Khoun has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Theft by Taking relating to his involvement in cyber fraud scams targeting older adults.

“Borin Khoun engaged in online scams targeting older adults and their hard-earned dollars, and now he is paying the price for his illegal actions,” said Carr. “By working with our partners on the Cyber Fraud Task Force, we were able to identify Khoun for the role he played in this fraudulent scheme and secure justice for those he helped to exploit and deceive. We will not hesitate to prosecute those involved with cyber fraud schemes as we specifically target these types of criminal enterprises in our state.”

“This guilty plea is a direct result of the public reporting tips to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) where we were able to share the information with our local partners and bring Khoun to justice,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to collaboratively work with our partners in the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force to disseminate information and bring as many cyber fraudsters to justice as possible.”

Case Summary

Borin Khoun of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was previously indicted in July 2021 on four counts of Theft by Taking in a case referred to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office by the Cyber Fraud Task Force. In this case, Khoun engaged in an online romance scam and stole more than $50,000 from a senior citizen in California. The defendant has pleaded guilty to all four counts under the First Offender Act.

Khoun was separately indicted in April 2022 on one count of Theft by Taking in a case investigated by the FBI. In this case, Khoun stole over $180,000 from a senior citizen in Arizona. The defendant has pleaded guilty to the charge.  

In total, Khoun stole more than $230,000 from the two victims.

A Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge sentenced Khoun to 15 years, including 90 days to be served in jail and nine months in a work release program. The Judge also imposed a $1,500 fine and ordered Khoun to pay $234,479.48 in restitution to his victims.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Greg Lohmeier of the Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit and investigated by the FBI and Investigator Danny Vogt of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.

About the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force

By making a coordinated and concerted effort to focus on suspects moving fraud proceeds in the metro-Atlanta area, the Cyber Fraud Task Force, comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement partners, seeks to disrupt the financial structure that makes Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud schemes so lucrative for criminals. Additionally, the Task Force aims to partner with community leaders and organizers to educate the public about avoiding these scams.

The Cyber Fraud Task Force recently marked one year of progress. During this time, the Attorney General’s Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit has also indicted two defendants in two separate cyber fraud cases involving BEC scams.

  • In March 2022, Carr announced the indictment of Mark L. Jones on one count of Theft by Taking. This case was identified by the Cyber Fraud Task Force and investigated by the Georgia Attorney General's Office and the Cobb County Sherriff's Office.
  • In November 2021, Carr announced that charges had been filed against Bernard C. Kaba on three counts of Theft by Taking. This case was identified by the Cyber Fraud Task Force and investigated by the Attorney General's Criminal Investigation Section.

Tips for Avoiding Common Scams Targeting Seniors

Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme, including romance, lottery and sweepstakes scams, to name a few.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults provides information on an array of topics of importance to seniors, including scams, identity theft, credit and debt, reverse mortgages, charitable giving, home repairs, funerals, advance directives, long-term care, elder abuse and more. The guide is available on the Consumer Protection Division website and via hard copy. Georgians can contact the office at 404-651-8600 to request free hard copies of the guide in English, Spanish or Korean.

If you think you may have fallen victim to some type of elder fraud, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 404-651-8600 or file a complaint online at https://consumer.georgia.gov/resolve-your-dispute/how-do-i-file-complaint.

For additional tips on how to recognize and avoid common elder fraud schemes, visit the FBI’s website at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud.

Georgians can also report suspected elder fraud to the FBI:

Contact

Communications Director Kara Richardson

[email protected]