A Kansas City man, Bhagya Patel, has been accused of scamming a woman from Nevada, Missouri, out of tens of thousands of dollars. According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, Patel, 23, contacted the victim and falsely claimed she was under investigation by the federal government for money laundering.
Patel instructed the woman to withdraw $40,000 in order to resolve the situation. The victim, believing the scam, handed the cash over to two individuals she met in the parking lot of a Walmart in Nevada.
The following day, Patel messaged the woman again, demanding another $20,000 to settle the supposed issue. At this point, the victim contacted the police, who advised her to meet with Patel but not to hand over any more money.
During the scheduled meeting, law enforcement arrested Patel and recovered $37,000 in cash. Patel has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering related to the incident.
Authorities continue to investigate, warning the public about similar scams targeting vulnerable individuals.
