A man is charged in the United States over an alleged loan scheme in which prosecutors say he used multiple aliases and claimed connections to New York’s wealthy Astor family to target a Mexican billionaire. According to court documents cited by UK media, the accused person allegedly posed as being linked to the famed Astor name in order to persuade the businessman to participate in the scheme. U.S. prosecutors allege the scam resulted in the Mexican billionaire losing or being defrauded of about $450 million, with reporting describing the amount as around $450 million (about £331 million). The Independent reports that the defendant used the Astor family name as part of a broader fraud involving purported loans, and that he had several aliases. The charges are based on the allegations presented by prosecutors in court filings, and the reporting does not indicate an outcome or conviction. The case focuses on whether the accused misrepresented his identity and associations to induce the victim to provide money under the terms of the purported loan arrangement.