Kamal Ghorui
Nigam Bhatt, an Indian man in the US on a work visa , has been arrested in connection to a gold scam.
25-year-old Nigan Bhatt, an Indian who is in the US on a work visa, was arrested for scamming an elderly in a gold scam that has spread its network across the country. Elderly people are called by scammers who often pose as law enforcement officials and are asked to deposit gold to evade arrest. Bhatt was arrested as he was on his way to collect $8000,000 in gold from his target. In this case, the victims were told that their bank account and social security benefits are frozen and can be released only in exchange for gold. According to reports, detectives in Collin County, Texas contacted the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana about an investigation into the gold scam as they received a tip that Bhatt was going to that area for his collection. On April 7, Bhatt was taken into custody before he could collect the gold. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker said residents should be suspicious of any calls about their financial accounts. He said residents are advised to hang up and call their banking institution to verify the caller’s claims. Residents are also advised to never provide personal or financial information over the phone and never send money or valuables to strangers online, by mail or through suspicious meet-ups.The investigation into the gold scam is ongoing and several arrests have already been made. In January 2026, two Indian jewelry stores in Texas were raided as investigators found these stores were connected to the scam network. The scammers allegedly sold the gold that they got from their victims in these stores, finishing off the trail of the crime. The stores allegedly made jewelry out of the crime proceeds and sold it to their customers.How to identify this nationwide scamThe Friendswood Police Department in Texas earlier alerted residents about this scam and advised how to identify it and avoid getting duped. They said the fraud begins in call centers located in India, where callers impersonate federal agents, bank investigators, or representatives of major companies to convince victims that they are under investigation or that their assets are at risk.The scammer contacts the victim and provides forged government documents to convince them that posting a monetary fee is required to avoid arrest or protect their finances. The victim is told the payment must be made in gold. The scammer then arranges for a courier to pick up the gold using a password system to confirm the exchange. The courier collects the gold or cash and delivers it to another member of the group, who pays the courier and moves the money through laundering channels. The funds are eventually transferred through a Hawala network which is an informal, trust-based money transfer system that operates outside traditional banking which allows the conspirators to move and conceal the proceeds across international borders, the police earlier said.
