A southern Illinois jury convicted an illegal immigrant from India for his involvement in an imposter scam, in which victims across the Midwest were defrauded out of more than $400,000.
The jury convicted 44-year-old Nirav B. Patel, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe says an imposter scammer may call, text, or email to convince you they are someone in authority, but government agencies typically initiate conversation with you through the mail. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method are more than likely a scam.
The scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to coconspirators posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping. In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was also convicted for entering the U.S. illegally.
Patel was arrested in Edwardsville in April 2023 when he attempted to pick up $35,000 in cash from a retiree. In total, Patel personally made six trips picking up, or attempting to pick up, $403,400 from elderly victims in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Patel could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 for conspiracy and each of the wire fraud counts. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 29 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
