Indian man on student visa charged with shocking crimes in Rhode Island

Indian man on student visa, Samyag Uday Dosh, was arrested for allegedly scamming elderly people in Rhode Island.

A 25-year-old Indian man residing in the US on a student visa has been accused of defrauding senior citizens in Rhode Island. Samyag Uday Doshi, who purported to be a student at Massachusetts University, was apprehended on November 17 while attempting to collect cash from an elderly individual who had been deceived into thinking that he needed to pay this sum to federal agents to evade investigations, according to the Boston Globe.

Samyag Uday Doshi arrested for allegedly collecting cash in scam targeting elderly. (X@jattaviator)

Over the course of several weeks, the victim reportedly surrendered $54,000 in cash to individuals associated with the scam — with efforts amounting to over $385,000, which included inquiries regarding the acquisition of gold bars, as per the US-based outlet.

Here's what Doshi told officials

Doshi informed the authorities that he was merely a student and was collecting money for the first time. However, the police discovered an image of him unboxing a gold bar upon examining his phone.

Investigators stated that Doshi subsequently confessed to having conducted at least four to five money pickups prior to this incident and was set to receive $500 for the transaction he was about to complete at the time of his arrest. Law enforcement officials suspect that Doshi is not the mastermind behind the scheme, but rather a middleman, as he indicated that he was reporting to an individual he believed to be in India.

A message about a fake transaction was left on the elderly victim's cell phone, advising him to call a certain number to address the issue.

When he contacted the number, the con artist pretended to be a federal officer and told the elderly man that he was being probed for multiple offenses, including money laundering. The scammer said that if he paid them, they could help him.

The con artists told him to withdraw tens of thousands of dollars in cash over the course of the next three weeks, then send the money to the state so that it could be distributed to certain courier members.

The victim attempted to acquire gold bars, which raised the suspicion of the store owner specializing in gold transactions. The owner contacted the police, informing them that an elderly individual was attempting to purchase over $200,000 in gold bars and was likely a victim of a scam.

Police nabbed Doshi

The police intervened and managed the transactions on behalf of the victim. When the victim was instructed to send a check to Chicago, the investigator collaborated with a bank to create a counterfeit check. Subsequently, the victim was directed to withdraw $45,000 in cash and deliver it to Doshi, the courier. person. Investigators proceeded to the designated meeting location and apprehended Doshi.

A federal magistrate judge has ordered his detention without bail, referencing substantial evidence and the potential risk of flight.

The federal case is currently in progress.