A 79-year-old Michigan widow was told her Social Security number had been tied to terrorism, drug activity, and money laundering. The caller said she needed to move her savings into gold so authorities could track the supposed criminals.
The request led her to Grand Rapids Coins, where she wired $700,000 for gold. Owner Ben Soldaat noticed something was wrong before the gold left the shop and called the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, according to WANE.
Detectives turned the planned handoff into a sting. The person accused of coming to collect the gold received a bag of chocolate coins instead, and the widow did not lose the $700,000.
The Caller Claimed Her Social Security Number Was Tied to Crimes
The scam began with a call claiming the woman’s Social Security number had been connected to terrorism, drug activity, and money laundering, according to reports on the WOOD TV8 investigation. The caller told her she had to convert her savings into gold so police could track the criminals.
The woman went to Grand Rapids Coins on 10 Mile Road near Rockford and wired $700,000 for the purchase, according to Mix 95.7, which cited the WOOD report. WOOD’s reporting said the purchase involved 145 one-ounce American Gold Eagles.
The Coin Shop Owner Called Deputies
Soldaat became suspicious after speaking with the woman. He told the local station she seemed urgent and confused, had not bought gold before, and did not appear to fully understand the transaction.
The money had already been wired to the shop, but the gold had not been handed over. Soldaat contacted the Kent County Sheriff’s Office before completing the sale, and detectives confirmed the woman was being targeted.
Detectives Swapped the Gold for Chocolate Coins
The callers kept contacting the woman while investigators were at her home, according to local reports. Instead of sending the widow to the meeting, police used an undercover detective dressed as an older woman.
The detective carried a bag of chocolate coins from the coin shop and handed it to the person waiting nearby. The accused courier was identified as 20-year-old Yug B. Chauhan of Illinois.
The Accused Courier Was Arrested
Chauhan was arrested after allegedly traveling from Illinois to West Michigan to collect the package. Reports said he was charged with false pretenses of $100,000 or more and using a computer to commit a crime, both described in local reports as 20-year felonies.
Newser reported that Chauhan was being held in the Kent County jail on a $100,000 bond with an ICE detainer. The charges are allegations, and no conviction was reported in the sources reviewed.
The Widow Got Her Money Back
The woman recovered the $700,000, according to the reports. Investigators believe the operation may have originated overseas, and local reports said Chauhan allegedly told authorities he had been instructed by another person and communicated mostly through WhatsApp.
The FBI has warned that scammers increasingly tell victims, many of them older adults, to liquidate assets into cash or precious metals. The agency says criminals then arrange for couriers to meet victims in person and collect the money or metals.
The FTC gives the warning directly: real government agents do not tell people to buy gold bars and hand them to someone.