Guwahati: Two Indian students in the United States have been sentenced in separate fraud cases that scammed senior citizens out of millions of dollars, according to a report by PTI.
Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel, 20, was sentenced to 63 months (a little over five years) in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy.
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Patel was part of an online scam where fraudsters pretended to be government officials. They used threats and fear to trick elderly people into giving them cash and gold. Patel collected the money, kept some for himself, and passed the rest to others involved.
Officials say the scam caused around $2.7 million in losses and affected at least 25 senior citizens. Patel was arrested on August 24, 2024, in Granite Shoals, Texas, while attempting to collect what he believed was $130,000. He has been in federal custody since August 29.
“This defendant misused his student visa and joined an international fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons. “He took advantage of elderly people by pretending to be a government official and scaring them into giving away their money.”
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Patel and another Indian national, Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025. Mangukiya is waiting to be sentenced.
In a separate but similar case, another Indian student, Moinuddin Mohammed, was sentenced earlier this year to eight years in prison for a scam that cheated elderly Americans out of nearly $6 million.
All three were in the U.S. on student visas, but authorities have not revealed which schools they were attending.
The DOJ and the FBI continue to warn the public, especially older adults, to be cautious of phone calls or messages from people claiming to be government or law enforcement officials.