An Illinois man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis for a scam targeting elderly individuals. The scam involved telling victims to convert their savings and retirement accounts to cash or gold bars, which they were then instructed to hand over to law enforcement for “protection.” The suspect, Abdul Mohammed, remains a fugitive and is being sought by the FBI.
One elderly man fell victim to the scam after receiving unsolicited communications from a conspirator claiming to be an FBI agent named “Agent Roy.” The victim was told that his computer had been hacked and that he was implicated in a drug crime. He was instructed to withdraw $80,000 from his retirement accounts and exchange it for gold bars, which were then collected by a co-conspirator posing as “Agent Roy” in a Meijer parking lot in Westfield, Indiana.
The victim was later coerced into giving the scammers more money, ultimately leading to a total request of $45,000 in cash. Mohammed, who is believed to be part of the conspiracy, met the victim in the same Meijer parking lot in an attempt to collect the additional funds. Federal authorities are now seeking information on Mohammed’s whereabouts.
If convicted, Mohammed could face up to 60 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers encourages anyone with information on Mohammed to contact the FBI.
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