DENVER (KDVR) — A New Jersey man was arrested in Colorado in connection with an elaborate phishing scam that targeted an elderly woman and involved over $460,000 in losses, according to the Littleton Police Department.
The incident began on May 18, when the elderly victim reported receiving a suspicious text message from someone claiming to be Apple Support, urging her to call them regarding a disputed charge.
After she called, the scammers escalated the deception by impersonating agents from the Federal Trade Commission. They told the woman that her financial accounts had been hacked and pressured her to “secure” her assets before they were wiped out.
Under the false belief that her accounts were compromised, the victim was coerced into sending $10,000 in Bitcoin and purchasing over $450,000 in gold. The scammers planned two separate pickups for the gold.
Before the second pickup could take place, the woman realized she had been defrauded and contacted the Littleton Police Department. Working with detectives, she continued to follow through with the scheduled meeting.
At the planned exchange location, police and the Special Enforcement Team were waiting. They arrested the suspect, identified as Meet Hittendrakumar Soni, a citizen of India and resident of New Jersey.
Soni admitted to flying to Colorado, and to at least three other states, to collect similar scam proceeds. He was booked into the Arapahoe County Jail on charges related to financial fraud and elder exploitation.
