Boston Man Charged in $420,000 Fraud Targeting Older Victim

A South Boston man faces conspiracy charges in a scheme that defrauded a 75-year-old man of $420,000.Photo byImage: Tysonomo Multimedia

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today that a 21-year-old man from South Boston has been arrested and charged in connection with a scheme that defrauded a 75-year-old man of approximately $420,000.

Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel was arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the department says.

According to charging documents, the scheme began in June 2024 when the victim received a pop-up message on his computer claiming it had been frozen.

Believing the message was from Microsoft, the victim called the phone number provided in the message and was transferred to an individual who identified himself as "Sam Wilson," a purported federal agent with the U.S. Treasury Department.

It is alleged that Wilson convinced the victim that his name and personal information were involved in a money laundering scheme and that multiple properties had been purchased in his name in the U.S. and Russia.

Wilson allegedly instructed the victim to withdraw cash in small increments and send it to the Treasury Department for safekeeping.

Over the course of three months, the victim withdrew about $420,000, which he handed over to couriers posing as Treasury officials, the department stated.

The department says that on five occasions, couriers arrived at the victim's house, provided a prearranged "PIN" passcode, and collected taped boxes of cash. The victim’s sister reported the activity to law enforcement on Oct. 1, 2024.

On Oct. 7, Patel allegedly served as a courier waiting outside the victim’s home and was approached by an undercover officer posing as the victim. After Patel received the passcode and the cash, he quickly drove away but was apprehended shortly afterward.

At the time of his arrest, Patel was driving a rental car and was on a WhatsApp call, according to charging documents.

Patel allegedly told law enforcement that he had been collecting packages for several weeks at the direction of another individual in exchange for payment and delivered each package to a prearranged location.

The investigation remains ongoing, the department says. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Notably, the court released Patel under conditions, including GPS monitoring, and a requirement that he remain within Massachusetts.

Tysonomo Multimedia is independently owned, providing accurate, hyperlocal news and national coverage. Sharing our stories helps us grow and continue serving the community. Thank you for supporting independent journalism.