Scammers impersonating agents from the DEA, Federal Trade Commission, and U.S. Department of the Treasury tricked an elderly Murfreesboro woman into handing over $55,000 in cash and attempted to steal an additional $38,000, Criminal Investigations Division detectives said.
Murfreesboro Police Department fraud detectives worked with the victim to intercept the scheme and arrest a man who arrived at her home to collect the second payment.
Officers arrested 28-year-old Gurjinder Singh of Atlanta on Tuesday, July 22, after he arrived at the 77-year-old woman’s home in an Uber. Singh told investigators he had been hired to retrieve the money from the victim for a small fee. Police charged him with theft over $60,000 and financial exploitation against a vulnerable person.
According to detectives, the scammers told the woman she was under investigation for a seized illegal package from Amazon and had an outstanding warrant. They instructed her to stay on the phone while she withdrew large sums of cash from multiple financial institutions. She later handed the money to an unknown individual outside her home.
The scammers then directed her to withdraw an additional $38,000 and the money would be picked up at her home the next day. Detectives monitored the woman while she was on the phone call, arresting Singh when he arrived to collect the second payment. The Uber driver was cleared of any involvement.
“Law enforcement and government agencies will never call and demand money or threaten arrest,” said Sergeant Tommy Massey. “If you receive this type of call, simply hang up and call police.”
Authorities confirmed that Singh is in the country illegally. He was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, and the Department of Homeland Security placed an ICE detainer on him.
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