The illegal activities of the convict resulted in losses of more than $ 1.2 million.
A 24-year-old Indian man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison by a US court for defrauding an elderly American woman out of $150,000 (Rs 1,24,33642) through a computer hacking scheme, according to a US attorney.
The defendant, identified as Sukhdev Vaid from Haryana, India, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in December 2023. Prosecutors allege he participated in a wider scheme targeting elderly Americans nationwide, resulting in over $1.2 million in total losses.
On February 14th, the court further ordered that upon release from custody, Vaid would be remanded to the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement for deportation and ordered Vaid to pay $1,236,470 (Rs 10,24,92172) in restitution.
“It has become all too common for people outside of our country to victimize Montanans, especially as it relates to wire fraud, and get away with it. But not this time. Vaid is going to federal prison due to the sophistication and tenacity of the FBI, for which I am grateful. We will continue to be relentless in tracking down these criminals who prey on our trusting impulses, and we are confident such efforts will result in these fraudsters ending up in the same place as Vaid,” US Attorney Laslovich said.
“‘Phantom Hacker’ scams layer imposter tech support, financial, and government personas to gain access to someone’s computer and personal information. Sadly, these scams are increasingly targeting our seniors. Adding to the depravity of this particular case is that the scammer traveled overseas to collect the victim’s money in person,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “To protect yourself, never click on unsolicited pop-ups or links sent by text message or email, don’t download software at the request of someone you don’t know, and always remember that the government and law enforcement will never call and ask you for money.”
In a statement to the court, the Montana victim said, “I feel very violated…I have crawled into a shell emotionally and don’t want to be vulnerable in any way. I don’t know who I can safely trust now. I don’t feel safe at all.”
The government alleged in court documents that a large enterprise originating from India was involved in stealing $1,236,470 from elderly Americans. The Montana case arose in February 2023, when Glacier Bank notified the FBI that Jane Doe, a 73-year-old woman in Kalispell, had been defrauded. The fraudsters tricked Jane Doe into giving them money through a pop-up notice that appeared on Jane Doe’s computer screen. The notice explained that Jane Doe had been “hacked” and for her to call a number for customer support. Jane Doe complied, and fraudsters directed her to remove cash from her bank accounts for safekeeping at the “Fed.” Jane Doe complied and gave $150,000 in cash to the fraudsters.
After learning of the scam, the FBI set up a ruse in which Jane Doe told the fraudsters she still had $50,000 in cash. The FBI arrested Vaid, along with his co-defendant, Eddly Joseph, of Gainesville, Florida, when they traveled to Montana to collect the money. The investigation determined that the fraudsters remotely accessed Jane Doe’s computer, using UltraViewer, which they installed on her computer.
Joseph was sentenced previously to two years and nine months in prison for his conviction in the case.
