Large group of fraudsters from India targeting senior citizens in gold scams nationwide

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FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- Three California men are in jail, police said, accused of trying to steal the life savings of a Friendswood man through an elaborate scheme.

According to Friendswood Police Detective Steven Sills, a senior citizen spent three weeks talking to someone they believed was a federal agent. That fake federal agent, police said, claimed the senior's Social Security number was compromised. The senior citizen was told the only way to protect himself was to turn his $500,000 of life savings into gold coins and hand it off.

"Thankfully, our victim did talk about it with someone, a social worker, and the social worker convinced our victim to come report it to the police," Sills said.

With the senior's help, Friendswood police said they set up a sting operation.

Court records said police supplied the senior with fake gold coins to hand off to this man, later identified as 39-year-old Sukhvinder Singh.

After the handoff, police arrested

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Bonds on these men range from one to $10 million. Investigators say they suspect the men are connected to a larger group out of India that is most likely incredibly well-funded, and the high bonds are needed to make sure the three men stay in jail.

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