A 20-year-old Indian national has been arrested in Florida after attempting to collect nearly $495,000 worth of gold from an elderly Gainesville woman as part of a sophisticated scam, reports WCJB.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
Gurpinder Singh was taken into custody on Sunday after deputies and the FBI set up a sting operation to catch those involved in the scheme, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
The scam began when the woman received an email claiming there was an issue with her credit card. The message warned that her bank account and Social Security number had been "compromised" and instructed her to protect her money by converting it into gold bars. Believing the claims, the woman purchased more than $101,000 worth of gold from the Coin and Jewelry Gallery.
The fraudsters then attempted to persuade her to hand over an additional $400,000 in gold. Before that transaction could take place, FBI and IRS agents became aware of the situation and contacted the woman. Police and federal agents worked with the woman and set up a plan to catch the person who came to collect the gold. The arrest report states that Gurpinder Singh travelled from California to Florida in May to help carry out the fraud.
Singh arrived at a Chevron petrol station at 12200 SW Archer Road to complete the handover. Instead of receiving the gold, he was met by deputies and arrested at the scene. Police say that Singh was involved in a much bigger scheme aimed at stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the victim. He is currently being held in the Alachua County Jail without bond.
