Two convicted in multi-million dollar transnational telephone scam targeting elderly

Pradip Parikh and Alpesh Patel have been convicted for their involvement in a telephone scam that defrauded millions of dollars from Americans. The conviction follows a five-day jury trial where the two were found guilty of running a scheme that targeted vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly.

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the case, stating, "This case involved a scheme to defraud multiple victims – many of whom were elderly – and to callously rob them of their hard-earned savings." He emphasized that Parikh and Patel exploited trust in federal institutions through government-imposter scams.

Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing duties for the Social Security Administration, noted, "These defendants deliberately preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—particularly the elderly—by impersonating Social Security officials and exploiting their trust." She highlighted the harm caused by these actions and affirmed the commitment to pursuing those who commit fraud.

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown remarked on the importance of protecting vulnerable community members and holding accountable those engaged in such fraud schemes.

The scam involved an India-based call center operation where fraudsters posed as Social Security Administration employees. They deceived victims into believing their Social Security Numbers were compromised and instructed them to send money to accounts controlled by Parikh, Patel, and others.

During the trial, victims testified about transferring significant sums to accounts like "JDM Management" and "Seven Points Agency," both linked to Parikh and Patel. These funds were then laundered or diverted to conspirators after retaining portions for themselves.

Parikh was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of money laundering. Patel faced convictions on all counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The penalties include up to 20 years for wire fraud conspiracy and ten years for each money laundering count.

Sentencing will be determined later by United States District Judge William M. Ray II based on guidelines that provide sentencing ranges but are not binding.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General and the FBI. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Adams with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman.

This case is part of efforts by the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aimed at tackling foreign-based fraud schemes targeting American seniors.

For more information or inquiries, contact details are provided for further assistance from relevant authorities.