12 from Guj sentenced in US for defrauding elderly; 8 among them illegal immigrants
Several of them impersonated govt agents, laundered millions, or operated as money mules to defraud victims under false pretenses. The sentences range from one year to 12 years in prison.
Federal agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security, and US Attorneys' Offices, say the frauds evolved into well-organised operations that leverage call centres in India and Gujaratis in the US to collect and route the stolen proceeds.
TOI has scanned through numerous FIRs and court documents related to the cases. In these, federal authorities have flagged a rising trend of Indian-run scam networks, particularly those tied to Gujarat. The networks typically rely on call centres in India to contact victims and use local Gujaratis in the US to collect and transport funds. Victims are often elderly and unfamiliar with financial fraud tactics.
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Law enforcement agencies in the US have pledged continued coordination with international counterparts to disrupt these transnational schemes.
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"Each of these cases reflects how vulnerable victims are misled by individuals impersonating officials from the FBI, IRS, or Treasury," said a US law agency officer. "The Indian-origin networks behind these scams are sophisticated, and the people involved in the US play key operational roles.
"
Prosecutors said that many of the accused targeted seniors by claiming their Social Security numbers were compromised or that warrants were issued for their arrest.
Victims were coerced into withdrawing life savings and converting them to gold or cash for 'safekeeping'. "These aren't petty frauds — they're crimes that uproot lives," said a US prosecutor in one case report. "Some victims lost their homes, their financial security, and peace of mind.
" the prosecutor underscored
An earlier scam trend was people running con call centres in Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat cheating US citizens by posing as law officers and threatening them with a case of narcotics. Whereas these cases seem to have been reported in fewer numbers, cases of frauds against elderly citizens have increased. "They are also paying the price of entering the US illegally. Their masters lure them with a promise of settling them in the US, and once they reach there, they are used as money mules," said a source in a central agency.
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