Public Safety

FBI, Alachua deputies arrest man in $495K gold-bar scam targeting elderly Gainesville woman

A 20-year-old Indian national flew from California to Gainesville in late May to collect gold bars an elderly woman had been tricked into purchasing through a phishing scheme, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Scammers contacted the woman via email, falsely claiming her credit card and Social Security number were compromised and persuading her to convert more than $101,000 into gold bars, with demands for an additional $400,000 to follow. FBI and IRS agents intervened before the larger payment was made, setting up a sting that led to the arrest of Gurpinder Singh.

Sources: WCJB TV20