A man living in New Jersey on a work visa from India has been arrested and accused of scamming an elderly Tangipahoa Parish man out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold.
Nigam Bhatt, 25, has been booked on extortion charges. Bhatt lives in Parsippany, New Jersey, but is in the U.S. on a work visa from India, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Over the weekend, detectives in Collin County contacted TPSO about an investigation they were conducting into a gold scam operation.
The scheme involved victims being contacted and told their bank account and Social Security benefits are frozen and can only be released with an exchange of gold.
Through that investigation, detectives discovered several unsuspecting, senior citizen victims, including one in the Kentwood area, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office learned of Bhatt’s next trip to the area, and with the help of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office was able to take him into custody before he could take more than $800,000 in gold from the victim.
This investigation is still ongoing and widespread. Anyone who may have fallen victim to this scam should contact the TPSO Criminal Investigations Division at 985-902-2088.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker reminds residents to be suspicious of any calls about their financial accounts. You’re advised to hang up and call your banking institution to verify the caller’s claims. Residents are also advised to never provide personal or financial information over the phone and never send money or valuables to strangers online, by mail or through suspicious meet-ups.
READ MORE:Man on work visa from India accused of scam involving gold in Tangipahoa Parish
