2 Indian students charged in elderly scam case in US

Two Indian citizens on student visas in the US have been arrested for scamming an elderly individual and charged with theft, according to authorities.

Mahammadilham Vahora and Hajiali Vahora, both 24 years old, were booked into the El Paso County Jail this month, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Monday.

They are subjects of a continued investigation involving victims across the US, it said.

The two have been charged with crimes against at-risk persons — including robbery and theft — as well as money laundering involving illegal investments.

Both attend the East-West University in Chicago, Illinois.

In October 2024, the Regional Communications Center of the sheriff's office received information from an elderly citizen who stated they had been a victim of a scamming phone call. The victim said the scammer claimed to be a “government agent” and made multiple threats to the victim.

Consequently, the victim sent money via a cryptocurrency ATM and purchased gold, which was given to the suspects in person.

Authorities initiated an investigation into the incident, and through cellphone tower record tracing, identified and located Hajiali and Mahammadilham Vahora.

“Shame on anyone who defrauds our elderly citizens,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Scammers are around every corner, and it is crucial for families and friends to be talking to their elderly loved ones about the signs of a scam phone call or email.”

The office said phone scams have recently increased, and scammers often pose as government agents, bank fraud investigators, or IT specialists, claiming the victim must cooperate with an investigation or their assets must be protected.

Victims have been instructed to deposit money at crypto ATMs, withdraw large amounts of cash from their accounts, and convert their money to gold at local gold distributors.

The victim is then tricked into giving their cash or gold to scammers posing as government agents who meet with them in person.

The sheriff's office urged citizens to be aware of such ongoing schemes and to never give crypto, cash, or gold to someone claiming to be involved in a bank, IT, or government investigation.