WASHINGTON: One Indian national has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for engaging in extensive financial fraud across the United States and other locations. In addition, five more Indian citizens are awaiting their sentencing, as per an announcement by the US Justice Department.
The victims of their crimes included elderly citizens of Pakistani and Indian descent residing in the US. The group’s leader and certain members had been residing in the US without legal authorization.
MD Azad, aged 26, confessed to participating in a fraud ring operating between 2019 and 2020, based in multiple US cities. This group primarily targeted hundreds of elderly individuals. On August 10, US District Judge Kenneth Hoyt sentenced Azad to serve a prison term of 188 months.
Likewise, five other Indian nationals – Anirudha Kalkote (26), Sumit Kumar Singh (26), Himanshu Kumar (26), and MD Hasib (27) – pleaded guilty after being charged with financial fraud. All five are to remain in custody until their sentencing.
During the court proceedings, Azad was described by the prosecution as the ringleader based in the US. He reportedly collaborated with a call center located in India.
The court acknowledged the numerous letters and victim impact statements received during the hearing. These documents illustrated the financial destruction experienced by elderly and vulnerable victims throughout the US due to this fraudulent operation.
Alamdar S. Hamdani, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, expressed, “The victims in this case were devastated, financially and otherwise. This fraud ring repeatedly targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals in the United States. The victims spoke of receiving threats of bodily harm if they did not comply with demands for more money.”
Exploiting Trust for Wire Transfers and Gift Cards
The Justice Department‘s statement revealed that the scheme involved deceiving victims through various tactics. This compelled the victims to send money through wire transfers via money transmitter businesses. This was achieved by purchasing gift cards and handing them to the fraudsters, or by sending cash via FedEx or UPS under alias names.
Part of the scam involved contacting victims through phone calls or internet platforms, often posing as computer technical support personnel. Victims were directed to a specific phone number, after which they were provided with stories to establish trust. These stories included the need for remote access to their computers for technical support.
The fraudsters then gained access to personal data, bank information, and credit card details. Victims would pay a fee for fake technical support, believing they were eligible for a refund. Through these processes, the fraudsters acquired access to victims’ bank accounts and manipulated them to appear as if the victim had received an excessively large refund due to an error. The victims were then coerced into reimbursing the group through various methods, often being targeted multiple times and threatened with physical harm if they did not comply.
