A 24-year-old man from Atlanta, Jay Sureshbhai Prajapati, was arrested in Columbus, Wisconsin, for his involvement in a scam targeting an 80-year-old woman. Prajapati, originally from India and residing in the U.S. on a student visa, was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property, a class G felony, in Columbia County Circuit Court.
On October 1, Columbus police were alerted by a local bank when an elderly woman attempted to withdraw $60,000 in cash. After questioning, bank officials discovered she was following the instructions of a scammer, who was still on the phone with her in her car. The scammer informed her that someone would soon arrive to collect the money.
The elderly victim, working with law enforcement, pretended to go along with the scam. The suspect arrived at a predetermined location around 8 p.m. in an SUV with Oklahoma license plates. Law enforcement officers intervened and arrested him as he attempted to flee. A search of the vehicle revealed $44,100 in cash, along with a laptop and cell phone.
Further investigation revealed that earlier that day, Prajapati had collected $45,000 from a 79-year-old woman in Iowa and $54,000 from a 59-year-old woman in Illinois. Additionally, he had previously taken $40,000 from an 80-year-old woman in Tennessee.
Prajapati is currently being held on $20,000 cash bail, while authorities continue to investigate his involvement in similar scams across multiple states.
Police Chief Dennis Weiner urged the public to remain vigilant when receiving suspicious phone calls or emails, warning against sharing personal or financial information without proper verification.