In a chilling tale of deception and exploitation, Pranav Patel, a 33-year-old Indian-origin man from New Jersey, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for his role in a sophisticated $2 million (approximately Rs. 17 Crores) fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans through fake government threats. The scam, run through overseas call centres, left victims financially devastated, some even losing their homes.
A Cross-Country Web of Deceit
Pranav Patel’s descent into crime paints a disturbing picture of how international call centre scams operate on U.S. soil. According to court documents, Patel acted as a “money mule”, a key person in the syndicate, tasked with retrieving cash and gold from elderly victims who had been manipulated into believing they were facing imminent arrest.
The scam’s blueprint was sinister yet effective: callers, posing as officials from the U.S. Treasury Department or other federal agencies, would inform seniors that warrants had been issued in their names. The only way out? Immediate payment. In some cases, they persuaded victims to hand over their life savings or convert them into gold for supposed “safekeeping.”
Federal agents caught Patel red-handed in a sting operation. He had travelled from New Jersey to Florida to pick up a parcel, believing it contained gold. Under surveillance, he was arrested on the spot.
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Call Centres Abroad, Chaos at Home: How the Scam Played Out
Investigators uncovered that Patel was part of a wider, transnational fraud ring, with roots in overseas call centres, likely based in South Asia. These operations preyed on vulnerable, isolated senior citizens across the United States, using fear, urgency, and fake legal threats as psychological weapons.
The financial and emotional toll on victims has been catastrophic. In one victim impact statement read during sentencing, a man revealed he had to sell his house after falling for the scam and losing his mortgage payments.
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A Harsh Sentence—and a Warning
On Wednesday, Federal Judge William Jung sentenced Patel to 75 months (6 years and 3 months) in federal prison and ordered him to forfeit $1.79 million (Rs. 15 Crores approximately), the approximate amount traced to his fraudulent collections.
The sentencing in Tampa, Florida’s federal court was not just a culmination of the investigation but also a stern warning. Patel, who pleaded guilty to money laundering in December, now joins the growing list of “mules” being aggressively prosecuted as U.S. agencies tighten the noose around call-centre-based frauds.
Elder fraud cases have surged in recent years, with scammers exploiting technology and fear tactics to extract money. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a 40% increase in impersonation scams in 2024 alone, especially those targeting the elderly.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.