Two charged in elder fraud scheme targeting Rhode Island seniors

PROVIDENCE — Two young adults have been detained on federal charges for their alleged involvement in separate online fraud schemes that targeted elderly residents of Rhode Island, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced Monday.

Canadian citizen Jirui Liu, 22, of Scarborough, Ontario, and Kush J. Patel, 22, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering following their respective arrests.

According to court documents, Liu was implicated in a scam that duped a 79-year-old man from Narragansett into handing over $35,000 in cash and gold bars valued at $130,000 after receiving a fraudulent pop-up message while shopping online.

The message falsely claimed he was under investigation for child pornography.

Scammers posing as federal agents and a bank employee then convinced the victim to turn over his assets to “secure” them during the investigation.

Liu was arrested after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents provided the victim with fake gold bars and surveilled the third planned delivery.

In a separate case, Patel was connected to a scam that resulted in a 72-year-old victim losing nearly $200,000.

The victim was tricked by an online message about a virus on his computer and identity theft involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and child pornography.

After being instructed to speak with a fake Federal Trade Commission agent, the victim was directed to purchase and deliver gold bullion, which was intercepted by law enforcement.

Patel was apprehended following a controlled delivery arranged by law enforcement.

As the investigations into online scams continue across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, authorities encourage reporting of fraud, particularly targeting older adults.

The National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) is available to assist victims and guide them through the process of reporting these crimes.