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Indian-origin man pleads guilty in phantom hacker scheme
Ajay Kumar admitted collecting cash and gold from elderly victims across the U.S.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 18, Aug 2026
- 18:22 EDT
- 31
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Representative image / PEXELS
An Indian-origin man based in California pleaded guilty to his role in a “phantom hacker” scheme that targeted elderly victims.
Ajay Kumar, 24, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty July 28 to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 8 before U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi.
Also Read: Indian national deported from US after criminal convictions
According to his plea, Kumar’s co-conspirators contacted victims while posing as government employees and falsely claimed that their financial accounts had been compromised. They told victims to transfer their money to a government account to keep it safe.
In some cases, the co-conspirators remained in contact with victims for weeks, persuading them to withdraw cash or purchase gold. Individuals posing as government agents then collected the cash or gold from the victims.
Kumar admitted that he traveled to locations across the United States to collect cash and gold from victims and deliver the assets to his co-conspirators as part of the Phantom Hacker Scheme.
In December 2024, Kumar attempted to collect approximately $500,000 in gold bullion from a victim in Arizona.
A conviction for conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
The FBI’s Phoenix Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adriana Genco of the District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
Federal authorities said phantom hacker and government impersonation scams are increasingly prevalent and disproportionately affect elderly victims. Fraudsters typically pose as government agents and pressure victims to act quickly to transfer their money.
The government warned that it will never call individuals and instruct them to transfer funds to the government. It also will never instruct anyone to transfer assets into gold bullion or deliver funds to a “courier” who comes to their residence.
Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant, verify the identity of anyone requesting financial transactions and report suspicious activity to law enforcement. They also emphasized educating potential victims and their families as an important way to prevent elder fraud and minimize financial losses.
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