2 arrested in Colorado, accused in gold bar scam in Douglas County
In a sting labeled "Operation I Love Gold," detectives in Douglas County arrested two men who have been accused of a scam in which they instructed the victim to buy gold bars and then deliver them to the suspects. The suspects were arrested on May 23 in a parking lot near I-25 and Castle Pines Parkway when they showed up for what they believed was the delivery of the gold bars.
According to detectives, they were alerted to the crime by the 76-year-old victim who reported that she received a pop-up message on her iPad on March 12. She wasn't able to use her iPad after the message popped up and it directed her to call a phone number.
When she called the phone number, she was told that her identity and accounts had been compromised and she was forwarded to the "bank's fraud department" and spoke with "agent Richard Parker, badge #GS7408."
She told police that that person had a heavy accent. That person told her that fraudulent checks had been written for pornography sites. He also said that there was a gag order and that she could not speak with anyone about the incident, including her husband.
That's when he directed the victim to withdraw money from her accounts to purchase gold bars. He told her the gold bars would be delivered to her safe deposit box.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives worked closely with the victim, gathering information and building a case against the suspects. When the two suspects arrived to pick up the gold bars, detectives from the Financial Crimes Unit and IMPACT team arrested them.
The suspects have been identified as Anil Kumar Dhiman, 34, and Punit Punit, 30. The charges include theft and crimes against at-risk persons. Their bond was set at $10,000 each.
"No one gets to come to Douglas County, prey on our elderly residents, steal their life savings, and get away with it. The lead detective, in this case, is sharp and laser-focused on taking these suspects off the streets to protect our most vulnerable residents," said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly in a statement.
