Archive · 12 Jun 2025
Indian-Origin Man Sentenced in $2 Million Call Center Fraud
Imagine some bad guys pretended to be government officials and called up old people, telling them they had to pay money or they'd be arrested.
Pranav Patel, a 33-year-old man, helped them by collecting the money.
He would travel around to get the cash, like a delivery person for the criminals.
They tricked the elderly out of nearly $2 million!
When Patel went to pick up what he thought was gold, the police caught him.
Now, he has to go to prison for over six years, and he has to give back the money.
Pranav Patel, 33, was sentenced to over six years in prison for a call center scheme.
Patel collected over $1.79 million from victims in Florida and other eastern US states.
The scheme involved impersonating US Treasury officials to defraud elderly citizens.
Patel acted as a "money mule", traveling across state lines to collect the money.
Patel was arrested while attempting to collect what he believed to be a box of gold.
- Who
- Pranav Patel, a 33-year-old man of Indian origin.
- What
- Pranav Patel was sentenced for a call center scam targeting elderly citizens.
- When
- The sentencing took place on June 11.
- Where
- Tampa, Florida.
- Why
- Patel was involved in defrauding elderly citizens of nearly $2 million through a call center scheme.
- Defendant
- Pranav Patel
- Age
- 33
- Sentence
- 75 months (over six years)
- Victims
- Elderly citizens
- Amount collected
- $1.79 million
- Location of Sentencing
- Tampa, Florida