Two men from Ohio have been arrested and charged in connection with a scam that targeted a Bourbon County resident, with the help of the FBI. The scam, which began in April, involved individuals posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents and convinced the victim to relocate her finances to a “federal safety locker.”
According to the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), the victim received an email claiming her account had been hacked and then received a call from individuals claiming to be IRS agents. The scammers told the victim she needed to move her “unsafe” finances to a “federal safety locker” and provided a series of instructions to follow.
The scammers were in constant contact with the victim throughout the process, which involved making withdrawals from her bank account, depositing funds at a BitCoin location, and wiring money to an account in New York to purchase gold bars. The victim was eventually able to contact the BCSO and cooperate with law enforcement, who requested FBI assistance in the case.
In cooperation with the FBI, BCSO deputies listened in on phone conversations between the victim and the scammers, where plans were made to pick up a second package of gold bars. On June 11, two men in a car with an Ohio license plate were seen picking up a package at the victim’s home.
Sanjaybhai Patel, 29, and Akshay Rai Priyadarshi, 26, both from Beaver Creek, Ohio, were charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $10,000. They were lodged in the Bourbon County Detention Center.
Sheriff Asbury expressed his gratitude for the deputies who worked hard to give the victim peace of mind and for their commitment to their community.
