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Indian national arrested in Hawaii Elder Fraud Case
Authorities say the alleged fraud involved impersonating U.S. Marshals to steal an elderly victim's savings.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 23, Jul 2026
- 17:53 EDT
- 24
Courier in international elder fraud scheme sentenced after jury conviction in U.S. / IANS
An Indian national was arrested in Hawaii on charges linked to an alleged gold bar fraud scheme targeting elderly victims.
Harsh Fojalal Shah, 25, was arrested in Honolulu on July 20 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii announced July 22.
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According to the complaint, Shah participated in a "gold bar purchase" scam in which conspirators posed as U.S. Marshals and falsely claimed an elderly victim's identity had been compromised. The victim, identified only as "Jane Doe," was instructed to liquidate her savings and buy gold bars to protect her assets.
Authorities said Doe turned over nine gold bars worth more than $137,000 and was later pressured to liquidate her retirement account for an additional $429,000 before law enforcement intervened.
Investigators subsequently conducted a controlled operation using fake gold bars. Prosecutors said Shah met the victim in Kaneohe on July 20, handed her a one-dollar bill as a confirmation "password," and accepted a box he believed contained 10 gold bars.
After the exchange, investigators observed Shah making what they described as evasive driving maneuvers across Honolulu before arresting him.
During a post-arrest interview, Shah admitted to conducting about 10 similar pickups from older adults over the past several months, according to the complaint.
"The alleged gold bar scheme here underscores a growing national trend in which sophisticated organized criminal networks prey upon vulnerable older Americans using lies, deceit, false impersonation, high-pressure tactics, and isolation to steal their life savings," U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said.
"This case highlights both the courage of an elderly victim who came forward and the commitment of federal and local law enforcement to aggressively pursue the predators who seek to defraud victims of their life savings," Sorenson added.
CJ Ammons, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said the agency is committed to dismantling criminal groups targeting vulnerable residents.
"By working closely with our federal and local partners, we're targeting these scammers and making sure that anyone who steals from our kupuna is held accountable," Ammons said.
Lieutenant Kawananakoa Saul of the Honolulu Police Department said the investigation demonstrated that those who exploit members of the community "will be relentlessly pursued."
Tom Alipio, chief of the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General Investigations Division, said the agency would continue working with federal, state, and local partners to identify and prosecute criminals who impersonate law enforcement officers through technology-enabled scams.
If convicted, Shah faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release.
Federal prosecutors noted that the criminal complaint is an allegation and that Shah is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department and the Hawaii Attorney General's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting the case.
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