The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has announced charges against a South Boston man for allegedly being involved in a scheme to defraud an elderly man of approximately $420,000.

Authorities say 21-year-old Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Patel was arrested on October 7, 2024 before being released with a GPS monitoring device.

Authorities say he will be required to remain in Massachusetts. The charging documents allege that the victim received a pop-up message on his computer claiming that his computer was frozen in or around June 2024.

The message featured a phone number that the victim believed was linked to Microsoft. The victim called the number and spoke to an individual before being transferred to someone calling himself “Sam Wilson”.

Authorities allege that Wilson claimed to be an agent with the Treasury Department and tried to confirm the victim’s name and address. Wilson provided multiple addresses until the victim identified the correct address.

Wilson allegedly told the victim that his name and address had been involved in a money laundering scheme and that the “Treasury” showed a number of houses had been purchased in the United States and Russia in the victim’s name.

Wilson allegedly told the victim he would help him get out of trouble, but that the victim should safeguard his money in the meantime. Wilson is accused of telling the victim to withdraw cash from his bank and send it to the  Treasury Department so it could be kept in a lockbox.

Authorities say Wilson told the victim he would need to make smaller withdrawals since the bank would not let him withdraw it all at once. Authorities say the victim withdrew and provided approximately $420,000 in cash over the course of three months.

Wilson allegedly told the victim a specific date and time the courier would arrive for the case and that the cash should be placed in a taped box with the victim’s name and address on it. The victim would be given a PIN and would hand the box to the courier who would pull up alongside the curb in front of the victim’s house.

On October 1, 2024, the victim’s sister reported the activity to law enforcement. Charging documents allege that Patel served as the courier on October 7, 2024. When Patel received the code, he reportedly drove away quickly and was immediately apprehended.

Authorities say Patel was driving a rental vehicle and was actively engaged in a WhatsApp call on his phone. Authorities say Patel told police he had been collecting packages for weeks at the request of another individual in exchange for money. He also allegedly said he would deliver the package to a specific location before getting paid.