Nirav B. Patel, $400K Elderly Scam, Illinois 2023

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A 44-year-old Indian citizen has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded elderly victims in three states out of more than $400,000.

Nirav B. Patel, a 44-year-old illegal immigrant from India, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien in February.

According to the U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, Patel ‘admitted that he came to Illinois because the state would give him a driver’s license, and then he used that license to steal from the elderly all across the Midwest.’

The scam targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to scammers posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping.

The money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India. The scammers kept the victims on the hook by calling them constantly, sometimes for up to 12 hours a day. The scammers also threatened victims with criminal liability if they told their friends or family what was going on.

Patel traveled to the elderly victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the crime. In one instance, Patel picked up $177,000 in gold bars from an elderly resident at her assisted living facility, even though she was pushing a walker and on oxygen.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft prosecuted the case.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino stated, ‘This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who enter the United States illegally and exploit our systems to target some of the most vulnerable among us.’

The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams are now the most common type of consumer fraud against Americans. If you or a loved one has been a victim of this kind of fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-833-372-8311.

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