Three men were arrested after authorities said an organized phone-and-courier scam targeted an elderly couple in Bowling Green, Virginia, and led them to hand over gold and jewelry for supposed government “verification.”
The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as Aiyaz Pirani, Pareshkumar Patel, and Mahendrasinh Diya, according to WTVR and WRIC.
All three are charged with grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, and obtaining money by false pretenses. They are being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail while the Caroline County case moves through court.
Investigators said the Bowling Green case appears to be connected to a larger organized crime operation targeting elderly victims along the East Coast. Known victim losses tied to that operation already exceed $1 million, authorities said.
The Call Started With A Fake Amazon Alert
The investigation began after the elderly couple reported an elaborate phone and courier scam. Deputies said the couple first received a call from someone claiming to represent Amazon, who falsely said their account had been compromised and that illegal purchases had been made using their information.
The couple was then contacted by people posing as federal agents, authorities said. Those callers told the couple their assets were tied to criminal activity and that federal warrants had been issued for their arrest.
The callers kept the couple on the phone for several hours, convinced them to provide bank information, and learned that they had gold and other jewelry, according to the sheriff’s office account cited by local reports.
The Callers Wanted Gold And Jewelry Packaged For “Verification”
The couple was instructed to count the items, photograph them, package them, and surrender them to a courier for supposed “government verification,” according to the sheriff’s office.
A courier later arrived at the couple’s home and took possession of the property, authorities said. The sheriff’s office did not publicly list the exact value of the Bowling Green couple’s loss in the available reports.
The Federal Trade Commission says real government agents will not tell people to buy and deliver gold bars, move money to protect it, or withdraw cash and give it to someone. The agency says a demand to hand gold or cash to a courier is a scam.
Video And License Plate Data Helped Investigators Trace The Vehicle
After the couple reported the crime, Caroline County investigators searched Bowling Green-area stores for surveillance video that might show the courier before or after the pickup.
WTVR reported that deputies found helpful video at a Caroline County gas station. Investigators then used an automated license plate reader system to track the suspect vehicle and connect the Caroline County case to similar cases along the East Coast.
The investigation later expanded with help from the FBI. According to the sheriff’s office account cited by WTVR, investigators developed information that one suspect was living in New Jersey, identified two additional suspects, and obtained court orders for cell phone data tied to the case.
Three Suspects Were Arrested On Interstate 81
Pirani, Patel, and Diya were arrested July 1 after Caroline County investigators learned the suspects were traveling into Virginia on Interstate 81, authorities said.
Caroline County Sheriff Scott Moser said the suspects used fear to control elderly victims and took property the victims had worked their lives to earn. The sheriff’s office said more victims are expected to be identified as the investigation continues.
Anyone who believes they were targeted by this scam or a similar scheme is asked to contact the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office at 804-633-5400. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000, through the P3 Tips app, or through Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers online.
Gold Courier Scams Use Fear, Secrecy, And A Pickup
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned that scammers increasingly send couriers to victims’ homes or public locations to collect cash or precious metals. Victims are often told the money or gold will be placed in a protected account, but the scammers disappear after the pickup.
Families should treat any instruction to package gold, jewelry, cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency for a courier as an emergency warning sign. The same applies when a caller says a person’s bank account is compromised, their name is tied to crimes, or federal agents need to “verify” assets.
Anyone already contacted by a courier scam should stop communicating with the caller, call local law enforcement, notify their bank, and preserve phone numbers, text messages, emails, receipts, photos, packaging instructions, surveillance footage, tracking information, and vehicle descriptions.