Elderly victim handed over $2.3 million in gold over the course of 5 months.
(picture courtesy of Montgomery County Police)
Gaithersburg, MD – 26-year-old Yash Shah of Baldwin, NY has been arrested for allegedly targeting an 88-year-old mother and her 61-year-old daughter through a government-imposter related gold bar scam. This case was the first reported scam of this type to Montgomery County Police.In February 2023, the victims were contacted by an unknown individual claiming to be from the Department of Justice who advised them that their bank accounts had been used for criminal activity including child pornography, human trafficking, and illegal gambling. The victims were directed to transfer their assets into cryptocurrency and gold bars. Over the course of 5 months, the victims complied and completed several deliveries of gold bars, worth over $2.3 million dollars.Through the course of the investigation and with assistance from detectives in New York, Montgomery County Department of Police Financial Crimes Section detectives identified Shah as one of the couriers who received a delivery of gold bars worth over $83,000 dollars and obtained a warrant for his arrest.Shah was arrested in New York and is being held in Nassau County awaiting extradition to Maryland.
