In relation to a “Gold Bar Scam” that preys on older persons, a guy from Baltimore County has been charged. According to court records, 52-year-old Vipul Thakkar had been impersonating a government official to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from a 74-year-old Bethesda man, WUSA9 said.
According to records, the old man received a letter informing him that the Federal Trade Commission was bringing a lawsuit and that he was entitled to money but needed to speak with an attorney.
The victim was informed by the purported Owings Mills lawyer Thakkar that he needed to turn his valuables into gold. According to the police, the victim sent the phony lawyer over $1 million by converting his funds eight times between May and June.
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“Just because you are not in Montgomery County, don’t let your guard down if you are in PG County, the district you are just as much at risk partially if you are elderly or have some access to money,” John McCarthy, State’s Attorney for Montgomery County stated.
In detention without bond until his September trial, Thakkar was taken into custody last week.
As they suspect there are additional victims in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia, investigators are advising the public to remain on guard, speculating that this may be related to a run of similar scams.
