LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A California man has been arrested in Lincoln for allegedly attempting to steal nearly $100,000 in gold as part of a sophisticated scam involving a fake PayPal refund.
According to the Lincoln Police Department, officers were called last Friday regarding a delayed fraud report. A local man had received an email on June 3 claiming he had been charged $1,000 via PayPal — despite not having an account with the service.
When the victim called the number listed in the email, the scammer convinced him that $100,000 had been refunded to his account instead of the $1,000, and he now owed the difference. The victim was instructed to buy gold to return the funds and avoid alleged tax issues. He used a cashier’s check to purchase $98,308 in gold from Lincoln Coin and Bullion, which was later picked up from his home.
The scam escalated when the fraudster claimed another $100,000 was owed due to a supposed computer error. However, during his second attempt to buy gold, a vigilant employee suspected a scam and notified police.
LPD coordinated with the victim to set up a controlled pickup on Monday. At 10:43 a.m., 29-year-old Chiragkumar Padsala arrived in a rental vehicle at the victim’s home and was taken into custody.
The victim confirmed that Padsala was not the same person who had picked up the gold previously. During questioning, Padsala claimed he was only sent from California to collect a package and did not know its contents.
However, investigators reviewed Padsala’s text messages, which contained specific references to the package, its contents, and several conflicting details.
Padsala has been charged with unlawful taking of over $5,000. His bond is set at 10% of $1,000,000, and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 9.