GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) – A Flint woman is among seven people facing charges in an international fraud conspiracy that saw $11 million stolen from 50 victims – most of whom were elderly – in West Michigan and across the country.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Tuesday that Mckhaela Katelynn McNamara and six others were charged in a federal grand jury indictment, unsealed this week, accused of participating in the conspiracy.
Many victims received pop-up messages saying their computer had been infected with a virus and they were instructed to call a number to get help, according to the indictment.
When the victims called the number provided, they got a response from someone claiming to work for a tech company, such Microsoft or Apple. But in reality, they were speaking with scammers located in India, who scared the victims into giving money to the conspiracy with a variety of different ruses, according to Totten’s office.
In another version of the scam, victims were told that their bank accounts had been compromised and they needed to withdraw all of their cash and give it to fake “federal agents” for safekeeping.
In a third version, victims were told they’d been identified in a criminal investigation and needed to turn over money to clear their names.
“Regardless of which ruse was used, the end result was the same,” officials said – the victims were convinced to give the scammers money, resulting in a total of $11 million being stolen.
The victims surrendered their money in several different ways: in-person meetings with fake “federal agents,” by mailing boxes of cash to addresses provided by the scammers, by wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the scammers, or through gift cards they purchased at the direction of the scammers.
In addition to McNamara, 27, the following defendants were the U.S.-based members of the conspiracy who collected fraud proceeds from victims on behalf of the conspiracy:
• Pragneshbhai M. Patel, 51, of Amityville, NY
• Everette Jhmal Thibou, 30, of Tampa, FL
• Jayesh J. Panchal, 54, of Hicksville, NY
• Vijaya C. Sheet, 52, of Jackson Heights, NY
• Jmyla Elaine Sha’taria White, 28, of Thonotosassa, FL
• Jorrel Tyler Jackson, 31, of Riverview, FL
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McNamara and Panchal allegedly made six trips to meet with a victim in Lake County, Michigan – northwest of Big Rapids – to collect $398,000 in total fraud proceeds from her.
The victim had been convinced that her bank accounts had been compromised and that she was giving cash to “federal agents” for safekeeping, according to Totten’s office.
Thibou is accused of helping to arrange those meetings.
Others fell victim to similar scams across the country.
Earlier this year, two alleged members of the conspiracy located in India were arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell. FBI’s Legal Attaché New Delhi provided investigative assistance to the Indian authorities.
According to the FBI’s 2022 Elder Fraud Report, 88,262 people over 60 were victimized in 2022, resulting in the loss of $3.1 billion, an 84% increase from 2021. Tech support and customer service schemes were the most common types of fraud reported.