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A 25-year-old Indian national residing in the US on a work visa was arrested before he could collect more than $800,000 (Rs 7.41 crore) worth of gold from an elderly resident he allegedly targeted in a gold scam, reported the US-based local news outlet, NJ.com.
Nigam Bhatt, aged 25, who was residing in the town of Parsippany, New Jersey, was taken into custody on Tuesday, April 7, by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office (TPSO) and booked on extortion charges.
Authorities say Bhatt was linked to a scam operation in which perpetrators contact senior citizens, falsely claiming their bank accounts and Social Security benefits have been frozen. Victims are then allegedly instructed that the only way to unfreeze the accounts is by exchanging or handing over physical gold.
Bhatt's arrest came when detectives from the Collin County Sheriff's Office in Texas contacted the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office over the weekend regarding their ongoing investigation into the gold scam ring. Investigators identified multiple senior citizens who had been scammed, including an elderly resident in the Kentwood area of Tangipahoa Parish.
Officials learnt that Bhatt was en route to the area to collect the gold. At the direction of TPSO Criminal Investigations Captain John Gardner, a team assisted by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office intercepted and arrested him before he could reach the victim and complete the hand-off.
Bhatt, originally from India, was in the US on a work visa, now remains in custody. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office described the investigation as active and widespread and noted it has impacted several unsuspecting senior citizens and urged anyone who believed they might have been targeted, to contact the authorities.
- Ends
Published By:
Shounak Sanyal
Published On:
Apr 9, 2026 15:34 IST
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