Local Resident Duped: Man Scammed Out of $420K
A 75-year-old man was scammed out of $420,000 by an individual posing as a U.S. Treasury agent, identified as “Sam Wilson.” The alleged scammer remains at large, but one of his associates, Urvishkumar Patel, 21, from South Boston, was arrested by the FBI on October 7. Patel has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Springfield and is believed to have acted as a courier, picking up cash packages from the victim.
The Victim’s Experience
According to court documents, the victim, who has not been named, received a popup message in June indicating that his computer had frozen and providing a phone number to call, which he believed was for Microsoft support. After calling the number, he was informed that his computer could not be fixed and was transferred to “Wilson,” who claimed to be a Treasury agent. The scammer then identified the victim’s correct address, which further convinced him of the authenticity of the scheme.
Fraudulent Scheme Explained
Wilson informed the victim that he was implicated in a money laundering investigation involving house purchases in the United States and Russia. To protect his funds, the victim was convinced to send his money to the Treasury for safekeeping in a “lockbox” until he could be cleared by a judge. Wilson provided instructions on how to bypass his bank’s safeguards by withdrawing smaller amounts of cash over time and packaging it for pickup.
The victim followed these instructions, sending money to individuals he believed were associated with Wilson on approximately five separate occasions from June to September 2024.
FBI Intervention and Arrest
The victim’s sister reached out to the FBI on October 1, prompting agents to set up a sting operation. The victim was instructed to contact Wilson to arrange a pickup of $33,000 on October 7. An undercover agent posed as the victim during the delivery, leading to Patel’s arrest shortly thereafter during a traffic stop.
Patel’s Admission and Future Court Appearance
Upon his arrest, Patel admitted to collecting the packages, initially claiming he had been blackmailed but later stating he had been paid for weeks to pick up the packages. Court documents reveal that Patel acknowledged knowing the activity was likely unlawful yet continued to participate.
Patel has been released with conditions and is scheduled to return to court on October 29 as the investigation continues into the larger scam involving the impersonation of a U.S. Treasury agent.
