2 Indian students jailed for multi-million dollar fraud targeting elderly Americans
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New York: Two Indian nationals studying in the US have been sentenced to prison after found guilty of financial fraud in separate cases targeting elderly Americans, The Indian Express reported.
Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel, 20, who was on a student visa, carried out an online phishing scam impersonating US government officials.
It involved fear tactics to extract money, jewelery from the senior citizens, according to the US Department of Justice.
Patel pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Department of Justice stated: ‘The conspiracy used various online phishing methods and impersonated US government officials, while Patel fraudulently received the cash and gold from victims, conveying a portion to co-conspirators and keeping a percentage for his own benefit.’
At least 25 elderly American citizens were cheated out of more than $2 million ($2,694,156).
Patel, who has been in federal custody since August last year, was arrested in Granite Shoals where he was collecting $130,000.
The United States Attorney Justin Simmons said that the defendant used his visa status to participate in an ‘ international fraud scheme’, cheating vulnerable American citizens out of millions of dollars by ‘impersonating government officials and preying on his victims’ fears of adverse government action’.
A co-defendant in Patel’s case Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya is waiting sentence in the same case.
In a separate case of financial fraud Moinuddin Mohammed, another Indian national on a student visa, was sentenced to eight years for cheating elderly Americans out of $6 million.