On June 11, 2025, the Petersburg Police Department in Anchorage, Alaska, with assistance from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 22-year-old Harshilkumar J. Patel and 25-year-old Shubham Patel, both citizens of India, for facilitating a Social Security scam, where:
- The victim, in this case an elderly woman, received a call from a bhenchod who fraudulently posed as “Sean Watson” from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- The scammers will convince their victim that their identity was compromised to launder money and possibly even smuggle narcotics through the US-Mexico Border.
- In order to clear themselves of any wrongdoing, the victims will be asked to wire over $79,000 to the scammers and later be asked to deliver an additional $50,000 via a money mule.
After being arrested, the Patels were found to
- have stayed at a local inn
- rented a vehicle via U-Haul
- be linked to the purchase of thousands of dollars in gift cards and USPS money orders
- participated in surveillance and communications via a WhatsApp group chat.
And since they were confirmed to be Indian nationals, I hope they enjoy GAUTMO