United States: 2 Indians indicted for scamming elderly people, may face up to 20 years in jail

Two Indian nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson, Arizona, for their alleged involvement in a nationwide fraud scheme targeting elderly people. The indictment, issued on December 11, 2024, charged Ahmed Maqbul Syed, 57, and Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 27, with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The scheme, as outlined in the indictment, targeted elderly victims across the United States, including Arizona. Syed also faces an additional charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to a press release from the Arizona Attorney’s Office, the conspirators used fake pop-up displays on the targets’ computers to create a sense of urgency.

These messages falsely claimed that the targets’ computers had been hacked or compromised, who were then directed to contact “tech support” or “government representatives” to resolve the issue.

Instead, they were connected with members of the fraud network who falsely claimed that their accounts and personal information were at risk. The scammers persuaded elderly people to withdraw or transfer money, under the guise of safeguarding their funds and accounts.

As part of the scheme, elderly people were instructed to purchase gold from various dealers and withdraw cash, which was then collected by people pretending to be government officials.

Others were asked to buy gift cards from retail stores and provide the gift card details to individuals they believed were helping them. In at least one instance, a target was directed to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM.

The indictment accused Syed and Chintakindi of laundering the fraudulent proceeds.

Syed is also alleged to have committed wire fraud as part of the operation. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison and a USD 250,000 fine for each count.

Syed has been arrested and is currently being held in detention pending trial.