Sukhdev Vaid, Wire Fraud, Montana 2024

Indian National Sentenced to 4 Years and 3 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud

MISSOULA — Sukhdev Vaid, 24, of Haryana, India, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for his role in stealing $150,000 from a Kalispell woman through an international computer-hacking scheme that targeted elderly Americans nationwide and resulted in more than $1.2 million in total losses.

The defendant pleaded guilty in December 2023 to wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided over the case.

The scheme, known as a 'phantom hacker' scam, layers imposter tech support, financial, and government personas to gain access to someone's computer and personal information. The scam targeted elderly Americans, with Vaid and his co-conspirators tricking victims into giving them money through pop-up notices and fake customer support calls.

The Montana case arose in February 2023, when Glacier Bank notified the FBI that a 73-year-old woman in Kalispell had been defrauded. The victim was tricked into giving $150,000 in cash to the fraudsters, who claimed it was for safekeeping at the 'Fed.'

In a statement to the court, the Montana victim said, 'I feel very violated...I have crawled into a shell emotionally and don’t want to be vulnerable in any way. I don’t know who I can safely trust now. I don’t feel safe at all.'

U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said, 'It has become all too common for people outside of our country to victimize Montanans, especially as it relates to wire fraud, and get away with it. But not this time. Vaid is going to federal prison due to the sophistication and tenacity of the FBI.'

Vaid was also ordered to pay $1,236,470 in restitution and will be remanded to the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement for deportation upon release from custody.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/india-based-computer-hacking-scam-targeted-elderly-across-country-and-stole-150000