TOLEDO — Two people, including a University of Toledo student, were charged in an alleged money laundering conspiracy that was tied to scams targeted at elderly victims.
A federal criminal complaint was filed on Jan. 26 that alleged Navya Umeshkumar Bhatt and Tejas Patel allegedly posed as tech workers or representatives of government agencies, according to our CBS news affiliate, WTOL.
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Authorities said the suspects used deception and pressure to convince victims to hand over large sums of money.
The University of Toledo confirmed that Bhatt is still enrolled at the university and is a senior who is majoring in marketing.
The FBI alleges that Bhatt presented himself as someone who could help victims solve their problems, while instead, he exploited them.
One victim in Toledo reportedly gave over $40,000, according to the complaint.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says such scams often rely on fear and urgency to manipulate victims, particularly seniors.
“We talk a lot about text scams, email scams, phone scams, but in-person scams have never gone away,” said Lane Montz, president and CEO of the Local BBB.
Montz said in this case, the scammers pressured victims to hand over money in the form of cash, gold, and cryptocurrency, which are all major warning signs.
If the person shows up unannounced, people should question whether they are legitimate, said Montz.
He said, “If they’re asking you to pay on the spot, especially with cash, gold, Bitcoin, or peer-to-peer cash apps, that is almost certainly a scam.”
The BBB urges people to slow down, refuse to make immediate payments, and verify any claims before handing over money.
Anyone who suspects a scam is encouraged to contact local law enforcement, a trusted family member, or the Better Business Bureau.
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