Rs 55 cr US elder fraud: How Indian student overstays visa, dupes elders

Indian national Atharva Sathawane sentenced in Florida for role in $6.6 million elder fraud scheme targeting seniors

A 23-year-old Indian man, Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he was found guilty of scamming elderly victims in Florida of more than $6.6 million (about ₹54.9 crore), according to a press release by the US Attorney’s Office. The sentence was announced in January but the case has now drawn attention from MAGA commentators amid growing rhetoric around visa abuse and fraud cases involving foreign nationals.

 

“An Indian illegal brought in under Biden has just been sentenced to 18 YEARS in prison for stealing $15 MILLION from elderly victims. They keep telling us these people come for a better life. BS. In reality, they come to steal from grandma,” right-wing commentator Nick Sortor wrote on X on Sunday.

 

Who is Atharva Shailesh Sathawane?

 

The 23-year-old entered the United States on a student visa but overstayed and lost his legal status. According to court documents, Sathawane later became a courier in an international fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims.

 

Prosecutors said victims were persuaded to liquidate retirement savings to obtain cash, gold or both. Sathawane then travelled to collect the assets and deliver them to co-conspirators.

 

Court records show some of those co-conspirators were operating from India. Sathawane mainly worked in Florida but also travelled to Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and New York when required.

 

Authorities said his personal role in the wider racket involved $6,615,484.66 in cash and gold.

 

How the fraud scheme worked

 

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida said Sathawane acted as a “courier in an international fraud scheme” targeting elderly people.

 

Investigators said victims were instructed to convert retirement funds into gold or cash. Sathawane would then visit them to collect the assets before passing them to others involved in the operation.

 

Officials credited victims who reported suspicious activity with helping expose the network. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the cross-border scheme eventually drew law enforcement attention after one elderly victim suspected fraud and alerted authorities.

 

That complaint triggered an undercover operation.

 

Arrest and investigation

 

Sathawane was arrested when he arrived at a victim’s home to collect more gold. A search of his mobile phone later confirmed links to the broader elder fraud network.

 

Investigators found he made at least 33 trips over four months to collect gold and cash from victims. Forensic analysis also showed he primarily operated out of Florida while travelling across several states for pickups.

 

Warning from federal agencies

 

FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley warned the public about the growing threat of gold bar scams.

 

“Mr. Sathawane preyed on his victims’ trust and fear, convincing them to turn over their life savings in gold. Unfortunately, this is a growing trend. In Florida alone, victims lost more than 33 million dollars last year just to gold bar scams. This sentencing is just one step toward justice for the victims in this scheme and the FBI’s efforts to stop this from happening over and over again,” said Jason Carley.

 

Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office, said, “The defendant’s actions robbed victims of their life savings and financial security. This case shows the benefits to everyday Americans when local and federal law enforcement work hand in hand to bring criminals to justice and disrupt a network that preyed on the most vulnerable.”

 

According to the DOJ, Sathawane personally took and laundered $6,615,484.66 in cash and gold. He also attempted to collect an additional $1,363,395.98 (approximately ₹54.9 crore) in gold from two elderly victims.

 

Officials said one attempt failed after a concerned friend intervened. During the second attempt, law enforcement arrested him.

 

Sathawane was convicted in November 2025. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.

 

US Secret Service warning to elders of America

 

The US Secret Service warned that older adults remain frequent targets of financial fraud.

 

“Elderly populations are disproportionately targeted by various types of financial fraud schemes, including confidence scams (e.g. romance, investment), online sales and auction fraud, life insurance fraud, tech support scams, ‘grandparent’ and government impersonation phone call scams, sweepstakes/lottery scams, and email extortion scams, among others. Regardless of the type of elder fraud scam, the vast majority of the situations involve criminals gaining the trust of victims or attempting to scare victims, ultimately swindling the victims into transferring funds or assets into the control of the scammers,” the agency said.

 

How seniors can protect themselves

 

According to the US Secret Service:

 

• Review the Secret Service’s guidance on cyber hygiene.

• Be wary of unsolicited communications via phone, text, email or online from unknown persons or businesses.

• Government agencies will not call to threaten arrest or demand payment for debt, jail release or immigration matters. Official contact usually begins with a letter sent by regular mail.

• Never share personally identifiable information, passwords or bank access codes with unverified individuals or businesses.

• Keep operating systems and devices updated and ensure anti-virus tools are installed.

• Enable pop-up blockers and avoid clicking suspicious pop-up messages.

• Do not open email attachments or links from unknown senders.

• Immediately stop contact with anyone suspected of fraud.

• Be cautious of social media accounts with few followers, poor grammar or links to non-.gov government websites or cryptocurrency investment offers.