Xuan (Daren) Li: A Convicted Crypto Scammer and International Fugitive
Xuan (Daren) Li has been reported and listed on Hucksters.net as a high-risk individual tied to large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering. The profile there serves as a centralized warning reference for anyone conducting due diligence before engaging with this person. Research confirms that Xuan (Daren) Li is not merely a subject of online complaints — he is a federally convicted criminal who pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court and is currently a fugitive wanted by law enforcement.
This report expands on that listing with verified public records, court documents, and investigative findings. Anyone who has encountered Xuan (Daren) Li online — through social media, dating platforms, messaging apps, or investment solicitations — should treat this warning seriously.
Who Is Xuan (Daren) Li?
Xuan (Daren) Li, also referred to as Li Xuan in some records, is a 42-year-old dual citizen of China and Saint Kitts and Nevis. He operated as a senior figure within a transnational organized crime network running large-scale cryptocurrency investment fraud out of scam centers based in Cambodia. U.S. federal prosecutors identified him as a key money laundering coordinator who directed the movement of tens of millions of dollars in stolen funds.
Li was arrested on April 12, 2024, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The arrest followed a coordinated investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and international partners in Cambodia and the Dominican Republic. He pleaded guilty on November 12, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Known Identifiers and Aliases
- Full Name: Xuan (Daren) Li / Li Xuan
- Known Online Alias: KG71777 (used on Telegram)
- Nationalities: China, Saint Kitts and Nevis (dual citizen)
- Age: Approximately 42-43 years old
- Known Location (as of 2025): Dubai, UAE (owns a five-bedroom villa in Wadi Al Safa 7, registered under his Saint Kitts passport)
- Status: Federal fugitive, sentenced in absentia
The Pig Butchering Scam: How Xuan (Daren) Li Operated
Xuan (Daren) Li played a central role in what federal prosecutors describe as a “pig butchering” scheme — a sophisticated, long-con fraud where criminals cultivate fake relationships with victims over weeks or months before luring them into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. The term refers to the practice of “fattening” victims with manufactured trust before slaughtering them financially.
Victims were contacted through unsolicited messages on social media platforms, online dating apps, WhatsApp, Telegram, and via phone calls. Scammers posed as successful investors, romantic interests, or technical support agents. They built rapport systematically using scripted pitches and real-time translation tools to communicate with targets across different languages.
How the Fraud Worked Step by Step
- Initial Contact: Victims received unsolicited outreach on dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms from someone presenting as a friendly, successful individual.
- Trust Building: Over days or weeks, the scammer shared fabricated stories of cryptocurrency profits and offered to teach the victim how to invest.
- Fake Investment Platforms: Victims were directed to spoofed websites designed to mimic legitimate exchanges, including fraudulent replicas of platforms like CoinZoom. Dashboards showed fake profits to encourage larger deposits.
- Extraction: When victims attempted to withdraw funds, the scammers demanded additional payments for fabricated “taxes,” “fees,” or technical issues — and then disappeared. One documented victim lost $1.5 million over just three months in 2022.
The FBI has reported over $6.5 billion in related investment scam losses in 2024 alone. Xuan (Daren) Li’s network was responsible for a significant slice of that damage.
Shell Companies and the Money Laundering Network
Xuan (Daren) Li’s specific role within the criminal network was to direct the laundering of stolen funds. He instructed co-conspirators to open U.S. bank accounts in the names of shell companies that had no legitimate business operations. These accounts received victim funds, which were then converted into Tether (USDT), a stable cryptocurrency, to conceal the trail.
Court documents confirm that at least 74 U.S.-based shell companies were used in this laundering network. Nearly $59.8 million of the total $73.6 million in stolen proceeds flowed through U.S. bank accounts before being converted to cryptocurrency and routed to overseas institutions. Li personally received approximately $4.5 million from the scheme.
Investigators discovered a single cryptocurrency wallet connected to the network holding over $341 million in digital assets, illustrating the massive scale of this operation. Laundered funds were distributed through peer-to-peer networks and accounts held in the Bahamas.
Federal Conviction and Sentencing
Following his arrest in April 2024 and guilty plea in November 2024, Xuan (Daren) Li was scheduled for sentencing. However, in December 2025, he cut off his ankle monitoring device and fled the United States. On February 9, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentenced him in absentia to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison, plus three years of supervised release.
Eight of his co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty to related charges, with at least three already sentenced. Li was the first defendant directly linked to the receipt and handling of victim funds to face sentencing in this case.
Current Fugitive Status
Xuan (Daren) Li remains at large. Real estate records investigated by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) confirm that Li owns a five-bedroom residential villa in Wadi Al Safa 7, a gated community in Dubai. The property was registered under his Saint Kitts and Nevis passport and was leased to a Chinese national as recently as 2025, generating approximately AED 250,000 ($68,000 USD) in annual rental income.
The U.S. State Department, through its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, is offering a reward of up to $4 million USD for information leading to the arrest of Xuan (Daren) Li. This reward reflects how seriously U.S. law enforcement considers him a threat to the public.
How to Protect Yourself
If you have been contacted by someone matching the profile of Xuan (Daren) Li, or by anyone promoting cryptocurrency investment opportunities through unsolicited social media messages or dating apps, stop all communication immediately and do not send any funds. Pig butchering scams are designed to feel genuine, and the platforms shown to victims are engineered to look legitimate.
If you believe you have been victimized, report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and to your country’s financial regulator. Preserve all evidence including screenshots, transaction IDs, email threads, chat logs, wallet addresses, and payment receipts.
For broader guidance on identifying and avoiding cryptocurrency investment fraud, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains a detailed resource on cryptocurrency scams that all investors should review before engaging with any online investment opportunity.
Reporting and Documentation
The original listing for Xuan (Daren) Li on Hucksters.net serves as a canonical reference point for complaints and reports tied to this individual. If you have direct experience, documentation, or evidence related to Xuan (Daren) Li, organize and preserve it with full timestamps. This includes invoices, receipts, screenshots of conversations, email records, and any cryptocurrency wallet addresses or transaction IDs involved in transfers.
Sharing verified documentation through established reporting channels strengthens the public record and helps protect future potential victims from this convicted fraudster.
Summary: Key Facts About Xuan (Daren) Li
- Convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering in U.S. federal court (November 2024)
- Sentenced in absentia to 20 years in federal prison (February 9, 2026)
- Responsible for laundering over $73.6 million in cryptocurrency fraud proceeds
- Operated Cambodia-based pig butchering scam centers targeting U.S. victims
- Used 74 U.S. shell companies to conceal stolen funds
- Fled the U.S. in December 2025 after removing ankle monitor
- Known Telegram alias: KG71777
- Owns Dubai villa registered under Saint Kitts and Nevis passport
- U.S. State Department offers $4 million bounty for information leading to his arrest
- Dual citizen of China and Saint Kitts and Nevis
Xuan (Daren) Li represents one of the most documented and dangerous cryptocurrency fraud operators to be publicly identified and convicted in recent years. His continued status as a fugitive makes ongoing public awareness critical. Do not engage with this individual under any circumstances.
