TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A man living in Toledo on a student visa is under federal investigation for allegedly scamming an elderly couple out of $50,000, but this may not be the first time.
Why it Matters: Scammers swiping more cash, getting more creative
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has now placed a detainer on 25-year-old Vedantkumar Bhupenbhai Patel, police said.
Authorities said Patel emailed a Michigan couple saying they had pending fraudulent charges on their credit card for purchasing child pornography, and that they’d need to withdraw $50,000 from their bank to prevent the charges from going through, according to the Shelby Township Police Department in Michigan.
Patel allegedly told the couple to put the cash in a box for an employee with the Treasury Department to pick up — then told the couple not to tell anyone. Two days later, police said Patel drove from Toledo to Shelby Township where the couple gave him the box of cash.
Detectives later learned Patel “likely” already sent the stolen money back to his hometown in India. Authorities believe he was trying to scam others out of thousands of dollars. He’s under investigation in at least two other elder scams.
Police arrested him in Toledo on April 30 and he was extradited to Michigan to face charges of Larceny and False Pretenses. A judge set a $100,000 cash surety bond, police said.
ICE has since placed a detainer on Patel.
“People that prey on the elderly are the most despicable type of criminals that I have dealt with in my 38+ years of law enforcement experience, and our department will use every available resource to identify and arrest these types of evil criminals,” Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide said in a statement. “The investigative work by Detective Thomas Verdura was extraordinary. He was determined and persistent throughout, always looking for the next clue or fact.”
13 Action News Big Story: Scams
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-05-12 14:18:00
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