A 20-year-old Indian citizen was arrested in Florida after he tried to collect nearly $495,000 worth of gold from an elderly Gainesville woman as part of a complex scam, WCJB reported.Gurpinder Singh was taken into custody Sunday after deputies and the FBI launched a sting operation to capture those involved in the scheme, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.The scam began when the woman received an email claiming there was a problem with her credit card. The message warned that her bank account and Social Security number had been “compromised” and instructed her to protect her money by exchanging it for gold bars. The woman believed the claims and purchased more than $101,000 worth of gold from the Coin and Jewelry Gallery.The scammer then tried to convince her to hand over an additional $400,000 in gold. FBI and IRS agents became aware of the situation and contacted the woman before the transaction took place. Police and federal agents worked with the woman to devise a plan to capture those who came to claim the gold. The arrest report said Gurpinder Singh traveled from California to Florida in May to help commit the fraud.Singer arrived at the Chevron gas station at 12200 SW Archer Road to complete the handover. Instead of receiving the gold, he was met by deputies and arrested at the scene. Police said Singer was part of a larger scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims. He is being held without bail at the Alachua County Jail.
