Hyderabad Youth on Student Visa Convicted in US Gold Scam

A 27-year-old Hyderabad native, Venkateswara Chagamreddy, has been convicted in the United States for his role in a fraud scheme that targeted an elderly Vietnam War veteran in Delaware County.

According to investigators, the scam began in August 2025 when the 79-year-old victim contacted what he believed to be Microsoft technical support. He was told that suspicious criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that a federal officer would soon reach out to assist him.

Shortly thereafter, another individual called the victim, posing as a federal officer, complete with a fake badge number. The caller claimed that the victim’s identity had been linked to serious crimes and warned that he was under investigation. The victim was then instructed to “secure” his assets to avoid further legal trouble.

Acting on these instructions, the elderly man converted his savings into gold and handed it over to a person posing as a government representative. When the fraudsters later demanded additional funds, the victim consulted a family member, who immediately recognised it as a scam and alerted authorities.

In a subsequent controlled operation, Chagamreddy arrived to collect another package and was arrested. Officials recovered $500 in cash, a mobile phone and 23 ounces of gold from his vehicle at the time of his arrest.

Investigators said Chagamreddy functioned as a courier in a wider fraud network, travelling across states to collect gold from victims and deliver it to co-conspirators. Evidence revealed that he maintained constant communication with his associates, sharing real-time updates on his location, movements and even fuel levels.

In one instance, he is believed to have flown from Austin to North Carolina to collect gold from another elderly victim before handing it over to a co-conspirator.

Following his arrest, Chagamreddy told authorities that he was in the US on a student visa and faced deportation after being suspended from his college. He claimed he had recently travelled to enrol in another institution and was carrying the gold at the time of his return.

The case underscores the growing threat of tech-support and impersonation scams, particularly those targeting elderly individuals.