by Rachel Van Gilder
A Florida man, Everette Thibou, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a massive $11 million elder scam that targeted vulnerable seniors across the U.S., including Michigan. The scam involved fraudulent pop-up messages claiming that victims’ computers had viruses, leading them to contact scammers posing as technical support agents.
Once the victims called the number, they were manipulated into thinking they needed to pay for virus protection or resolve alleged criminal charges. These scammers, many based in India, would instruct victims to hand over money in various ways, such as wire transfers, gift cards, or meeting so-called federal agents in person to make payments.
Thibou, 32, of Tampa, Florida, was part of a larger fraud ring that affected at least 50 elderly individuals nationwide. Authorities have already sentenced five other individuals involved in collecting the money, including a New York man who defrauded a Michigan woman out of nearly $400,000.
The scam had a devastating financial and emotional impact on its victims, many of whom were left humiliated and financially devastated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan emphasized the cruelty of targeting senior citizens and vowed to continue holding fraudsters accountable. The FBI is still searching for Pragneshbhai M. Patel, another suspect linked to the scam.