Elder Fraudsters Indicted for Money Laundering
The Indian Consulate in Chicago reported Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi missing before his indictment for elder fraud. Photo credit: Facebook.
Tech Support Fraud
Syed and Chintakindi, in conjunction with other co-conspirators, created schemes targeting elderly people around the United States, claim prosecutors in an indictment obtained by The Daily Muck.
They lured their victims through pop-up windows on their computers, stating the victims had been hacked and offering tech support to fix the issue. That was a scam, according to a DOJ press release.
They further encouraged their marks to withdraw money to protect their accounts– also a scam costing their victims dearly, say prosecutors.
Convinced Victims to Buy Gold, Gift Cards
Syed and Chintakindi would then direct victims to buy gold and gift cards from specific private businesses. In one case, they had a victim purchased Bitcoin. Then they sent confederates, who they claimed were “representatives of the government,” to retrieve the gold, gift cards or cryptocurrency from the victims, says the DOJ. The victims never saw those items again.
This scheme was uncovered when a woman identified as “M. D.” in court documents was told she was being scammed by her bank after she tried to purchase gold from an unknown source. M.D. contacted the police, who began an investigation.
Men Face Decades in Prison
The DOJ also stated in the press release that Syed has been arrested and is being detained pending trial. If found guilty, these two men could spend up to 20 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine for each count.
Previously Reported Missing
What makes things even more bizarre is the part of the story involving Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi.
In May 2024, Chintakindi was declared missing after failing to show up on a trip he had previously planned. The Indian Consulate in Chicago issued a statement pleading for information on his whereabouts.
“The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May,” said Indian officials in the statement. “(The) Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh.”
Chintakindi’s father, Ch Sadanandam, also pleaded for help to get his son home safely.
“My son had no problems. He also did not have any financial issues. I do not have any information from the police or embassy about my son’s whereabouts,” Sadanandam said in a short statement published by The Times of India.
However, just a few days later, the news that he was found in jail erupted. According to VisaVerge, a web portal dedicated to immigration topics, Chintakindo, a graduate student from Warangal, Telangana, had been arrested on another chargein Tucson, Arizona. A judge set bail at $50,000.
How to Protect Yourself and Loved Ones
This case is just the latest in the long list of elderly fraud cases that happened in recent history, especially in the post-COVID era.
Elder fraud has been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years. You should be suspicious of any unsolicited calls claiming your bank accounts or computer have been compromised and requesting payments of any kind. Any request for you to withdraw your money to keep it “safe” has an overwhelming likelihood of being a scam.
You can read about the growing phenomenon of elder fraud, plus tips on how to protect yourself and loved ones here.
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