North Carolina man jailed for selling US senior citizens’ data to Jamaican scammers
A 57-year-old man from North Carolina has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling the personal data of more than 7 million elderly Americans to Jamaican lottery scammers.
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North Carolina man jailed for selling elderly Americans' data to scammers.
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More than 7 million seniors' personal details were allegedly shared.
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More than 7 million seniors' personal details were allegedly shared.
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Authorities say the operation generated millions in illicit proceeds.
Troy Murray, the suspect from North Carolina, also known under the pseudonym “Steve Dixon,” devised a scheme in which he organized and maintained lists containing the names, phone numbers, postal addresses, and, in some cases, ages and email addresses of elderly Americans.
From 2016 to 2023, the personal and sensitive information was sold to scammers in Jamaica who were involved in lottery fraud schemes. By doing so, the suspect earned hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
According to the US Department of Justice, Murray was a well-known and prolific list broker for Jamaican scammers. Fraudsters who were interested in scamming people called, emailed, or texted the suspect for a list of names. The North Carolina man would then offer a price per list. Typically, he would charge $500 for a list containing 100 to 300 names.
Initially, scammers were instructed to purchase the list via wire transfer. However, after numerous transfers were blocked by monetary wire transmission services, Murray asked them to send him prepaid gift cards instead.
Once the suspect received his payment, he would then purchase farm equipment, vehicles, and collectibles like bars and coins made of precious metals. In addition, he sent money to one of his sons and instructed him to purchase personal property and pay for his business and living expenses.
The Department of Justice alleges that Murray sent at least 22,000 lists to Jamaican scammers, containing the personal details of more than 7 million elderly Americans. The suspect accumulated over $5.2 million while the victims’ losses exceeded $9.5 million.
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In January 2026, Murray pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Last week, he was sentenced to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On top of that, he was ordered to pay a forfeiture in the amount of $5,214,688.48.
The US Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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