Indian national sentenced to 51 months in jail for defrauding elderly woman in US
Washington (PTI): A 24-year-old Indian national has been sentenced by a US court to 51 months in jail for defrauding an elderly American woman of USD 150,000 through a computer-hacking scheme, a US attorney said.
The defendant, Sukhdev Vaid of Haryana, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to wire fraud.
He defrauded the woman through an international computer-hacking scheme that targeted elderly Americans nationwide and resulted in more than USD 1.2 million in total losses, US Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The court ordered on Wednesday that upon release from custody, Vaid would be remanded to the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement for deportation and ordered Vaid to pay USD 1,236,470 restitution.
"It has become all too common for people outside of our country to victimise Montanans, especially as it relates to wire fraud, and get away with it. But not this time. Vaid is going to federal prison due to the sophistication and tenacity of the FBI, for which I am grateful," Laslovich said.
"''Phantom Hacker' scams layer imposter tech support, financial, and government personas to gain access to someone's computer and personal information. Sadly, these scams are increasingly targeting our seniors. Adding to the depravity of this particular case is that the scammer travelled overseas to collect the victim's money in person," said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said it is a reminder to all citizens that these scams occur frequently and can be devastating. "I urge everyone to exercise caution; do not allow strangers access to your computer, bank accounts, or personal information," he said.
In a statement to the court, the Montana victim said, "I feel very violated I have crawled into a shell emotionally and don't want to be vulnerable in any way. I don't know who I can safely trust now. I don't feel safe at all."
A victim from outside Montana wrote to the court, "I'm driving a 2007 car, and this loss has prevented me from affording a new car. The cost of living keeps going up, which doesn't help when on a fixed income. I'm not sure I will ever have peace of mind again and trust others. This has cost me more than any monetary loss."
The government alleged in court documents that a large enterprise originating from India was involved in stealing USD 1,236,470 from elderly Americans. The Montana case arose in February 2023, when Glacier Bank notified the FBI that Jane Doe, a 73-year-old woman in Kalispell, had been defrauded.
After learning of the scam, the FBI set up a ruse in which Jane Doe told the fraudsters she still had USD50,000 in cash.
The FBI arrested Vaid, along with his co-defendant, Eddly Joseph, of Gainesville, Florida, when they travelled to Montana to collect the money.
The investigation determined that the fraudsters remotely accessed Jane Doe's computer, using UltraViewer, which they installed on her computer.
Joseph was sentenced previously to two years and nine months in prison for his conviction in the case, a media release said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
