In Michigan, an elderly couple from Macomb County fell victim to a scam, losing $50,000 to a scheme involving bogus credit card charges for purchasing child pornography. According to a CBS News Detroit report, Vedantkumar Bhupenbhai Patel, the suspect in the case, has been arrested and charged with pretenses and larceny. Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide described those who prey on the elderly as "the most despicable type of criminals," emphasizing the department's commitment to using every resource to identify and arrest such offenders.
Authorities believe Patel is on a student visa in the country and that the stolen money was sent abroad to India. Patel faces several charges, including pretenses—$50,000 or more but less than $100,000—and larceny—$20,000 or more, as confirmed by a Detroit News article. The arraignment was held last Monday, and the bond was set at $100,000 cash surety.
The couple involved in the phishing scam recounted their harrowing ordeal in an interview with WXYZ, including how they were coaxed into withdrawing the large sum from their bank accounts and handing it off to what they believed was an undercover FBI agent. "And they stayed on (the phone) constantly, was telling us what we had to do, how we had to do it and that otherwise, that money would be put into a treasury account with the government and if we don’t do this the way we’re told, we will not get that money back," stated the wife, highlighting the persuasive tactics employed by the scammer. After an additional demand for $100,000, the couple sensed something was amiss and contacted authorities, leading to Patel's apprehension.
Shelby Township Police used visuals from a license plate reading system and search warrants to identify Patel, who was eventually apprehended in Toledo, Ohio, and extradited to Michigan. Lieutenant Mark Benedettini from the Shelby Township Police Department advised the public to remain vigilant, especially for elderly community members, given the prevalence of such scams.
