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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Deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman used to dupe Belagavi man in Rs 7.9 lakh scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 76-year-old man in Belagavi city was allegedly cheated of Rs 7.9 lakh in an online investment scam that used an AI-generated deepfake video misusing the name of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure investors, police said on Wednesday.
An online fraud case was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1, they said.
According to Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, the victim, Prakash Gubbi, a senior citizen, stated in his complaint that in November last year, he came across a video on YouTube in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appeared to endorse an investment scheme.
The video also mentioned a link in its description for making investments.
The victim clicked on the link, entered his details, and was later contacted on social media by a person identifying himself as Adarsh Anand, who persuaded him to invest, the officer told reporters.
Citing the complaint, the officer said the victim initially invested a small amount, after which the application began showing profits of USD 65,000.
When he attempted to withdraw the amount, the accused demanded a “customs duty” payment of Rs 4.2 lakh, claiming it was required to process the withdrawal.
The victim paid the amount, after which he was asked to pay an additional Rs 2 lakh. It was at this stage that he realised he had been cheated. In total, he lost around Rs 7.9 lakh in the fraud, the officer added.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police are investigating the matter, police said.
The commissioner cautioned the public not to trust such videos, stating that the finance minister does not endorse any such schemes.
He warned that such content is created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
He further advised the public to remain vigilant, avoid offers that appear too good to be true on the internet, and invest only through legitimate, registered agencies or trusted channels.
Deepfake technology enables the creation of realistic videos, audio recordings, and images that can mislead viewers by superimposing one person’s likeness onto another, altering their words and actions. This can present a false narrative or spread misinformation.
