A 64-year-old Truckee woman lost nearly $500,000 after responding to a fake Amazon text and speaking with a caller who impersonated a federal agent. Pressured into converting retirement funds to gold, she made three handoffs to couriers who took the cash and gold. Authorities arrested two couriers in a sting using a decoy shipment worth more than $213,000; Anil Kumar was convicted and faces sentencing Sept. 24, while Amit Bhanwala-Singh was previously sentenced to 35 years. Officials urge verifying alerts inside official accounts and never buying gold or handing assets to couriers at an agent’s instruction.
Fake Amazon Text Triggers Phone Scam That Drains Nearly $500,000; Courier Convicted
Image Credit: Reno Police Department.
A fraudulent Amazon text message set off a phone scam that cost a 64-year-old Truckee woman nearly $500,000 in cash and gold, authorities say. The woman called the number in the message and reached a caller impersonating a federal agent who warned she was under investigation for money laundering and urged her to surrender assets to avoid seizure.
What Happened
Over three handoffs at different California locations, the victim converted funds — including money tied to her 401(k) — into gold bars purchased in Nevada, then handed those bars and additional cash to couriers who said the property would be returned after the alleged investigation. Instead, the deliveries funnelled the assets to people working for the fraud ring. By the final pickup, the total loss approached $500,000.
Investigation And Arrests
After the third requested surrender — which involved additional retirement funds — the victim reported the scheme to the Truckee Police Department. Investigators located a courier’s vehicle and identified one of the men involved. Truckee police coordinated with the Reno Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service because the gold purchases occurred in Nevada.
Authorities staged a sting using a decoy package they presented as containing more than $213,000 in gold. When two men arrived to collect the fake shipment, police arrested them.
Legal Outcome
A jury convicted Anil Kumar of exploitation of an elderly person and attempt to obtain money by false pretenses; his sentencing is scheduled before Judge David Hardy on September 24, and he faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison. A second defendant, Amit Bhanwala-Singh, was convicted of the same offenses earlier and was sentenced to 35 years, with parole eligibility after 14 years.
Consumer Advice And Reporting
Federal consumer authorities warn that legitimate government agents will never instruct someone to buy gold, withdraw cash, transfer money to a so-called secure account, or deliver assets to a courier. If you receive an unexpected alert that appears to be from Amazon, check the message inside your official Amazon account rather than calling a number or opening any links in the text.
If You Are Targeted:
- End the call immediately and do not follow demands to buy gold, send cash, or hand over property.
- Contact the named agency using a verified phone number and consult a trusted family member, attorney, or financial advisor.
- If you already transferred or withdrew funds, contact your bank, brokerage, or retirement-plan administrator at once to try to stop any pending transactions.
- Preserve text messages, phone numbers, receipts, gold-purchase paperwork and descriptions of couriers or vehicles for investigators.
- Report scams to local police, the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if internet-enabled.
Key Locations: Truckee, California locations where handoffs occurred, and Nevada where the victim purchased gold.
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