Yesterday’s story featured a foreign scammer ripping off American taxpayers. Today’s story features a foreign scammer ripping off American senior citizens.
A 35-year-old man accused of playing a central role in an international fraud network that allegedly stole more than $250 million from elderly victims has been arrested at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport while attempting to leave the US, authorities said.
Muzamil Ahmed was detained at JFK as he was preparing to board a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells. Instead of leaving the country, Ahmed was taken into custody and then brought back to Tarrant County, Texas.
“Muzamil Ahmed.” I’m sure the MSM will refer to him as “Fort Worth man.”
He faces charges including engaging in organized crime for theft, financial abuse of the elderly and money laundering. A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ahmed on August 28 on two counts of financial abuse of the elderly, according to court records.
Authorities alleged Ahmed was one of the key figures responsible for laundering money obtained through the sprawling fraud operation. Investigators say he operated from New Jersey and established shell corporations that were used to move money stolen from elderly victims.
Make that “Bayonne man.”
The alleged scheme targeted seniors through a combination of impersonation, fear and urgency. According to investigators, victims were contacted by people posing as bank representatives or federal agents. They were allegedly told that their bank accounts, Social Security numbers or other personal information had been compromised.
The victims were then instructed to withdraw their savings and convert the money into gold, cryptocurrency or cash. In some cases, people posing as federal agents allegedly arrived at the victims’ homes to collect the gold or money, authorities said.
The important lesson here (ine you should already know) is that you should never invest in anything, or transfer money, based on a call or unsolicited email. Don’t believe someone is with law enforcement (or your bank, or your stock broker) without proof of identity. Never call them back on the incoming number or the number they give you; call the direct line for the institution. And anyone instructing you to immediately convert all your assets into gold and hand them to them is 100% a scammer.
Investigators say Ahmed’s alleged role came later in the money trail. Authorities accuse him of using shell companies to launder the proceeds, routing stolen gold and cash through a Florida refinery and eventually converting the assets into cryptocurrency before moving the money outside the US.
The investigation has so far resulted in more than 40 indictments and more than 200 identified victims, with authorities estimating the total stolen at over $250 million. The alleged victims are not limited to Tarrant County; investigators say the operation affected elderly people elsewhere in the US and potentially internationally.
The investigation has also uncovered an alleged network involving several layers of participants. Authorities say some suspects worked as couriers who collected gold or cash from victims, while others allegedly worked at call centres that contacted potential victims. Jewelry businesses are also alleged to have been involved in melting down stolen gold and converting it into jewelry, making it harder to trace the bullion. The case has had devastating consequences for some victims. Tarrant County authorities said one victim died by suicide after allegedly losing $2 million and becoming financially destitute. Officials are concerned that additional victims may not have reported their losses because of embarrassment or fear.
Here’s a Fox 4 video on the case:
The video says there are “multiple suspects,” the names of which I’ve been searching for, thus far without avail. However, it does show us a picture of said suspects:
Why, that’s an awful lot of “Fort Worth men” and “Bayonne men” in that photo, isn’t there?
Leftists shout that there’s “no evidence” that the huge waves of unassimilated waves of third world foreigners they’ve imported into our country (both illegally and illegally) are just as honest and law abiding as natural born American citizens.
The evidence of our eyes suggests otherwise.
Tags: Crime, Florida, fraud, gold, Illegal Aliens, Muzamil Ahmed, New Jersey, Saudi Arabia, scam, senior citizens, Tarrant County, Texas, video