On October 8, 2025, New York State Police in Tompkins County arrested 41-year-old Hiawatha, New Jersey resident Akash B. Thakkar for serving as a money mule for a Social Security scam, where:
- The scammers will make unsolicited robocalls to victims, falsely claiming they were charged for an item off of Amazon.
- Once they pick up the call, the scammers will falsely claim their victims’ identity and Social Security number was stolen before transferring the call to a coworker who will pose as a representative of the victim’s bank.
- The victim will be asked to “safekeep” their assets by withdrawing money from their bank accounts and converting it into gold bars.
Thakkar was indicted by a grand jury on September 24, 2025 after collecting $500,000 in gold bars from a victim over the course of two visits. Though he has since been released from police custody, he has been charged with 2nd-degree grand larceny, which is considered a Class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
