Victim Defrauded Out Of $25,000 In Elaborate Vishing Scam: Greenwich Police

GREENWICH, CT — A victim recently forked over $25,000 to scammers in what police are calling an "elaborate vishing scheme."

Vishing is defined as "the fraudulent practice of making phone calls or leaving voice messages purporting to be from reputable companies, in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as bank details and credit card numbers."

Hridy Arya, 25, of Jersey City, N.J., was arrested on Sept. 17 in connection with the theft and charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and first-degree criminal attempt at larceny, according to his arrest report.

On or about the week of Sept. 8, a victim began being contacted by "a group of criminals working to defraud people via phone," police said in an arrest report.

"Through an elaborate vishing scheme, he was defrauded into providing $25,000 in cash to a money courier," police said. "Afterwards, the perpetrators demanded he obtain $400,000 in gold and provide it to them in the same manner."

Police did not provide details on the circumstances surrounding the vishing scheme. Patch has reached out for more information.

The victim contacted police, who arranged for a "controlled meet" with the courier responding to pick up the gold on Sept. 17, police said.

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Police identified the person who arrived at the meeting place as Arya, his arrest report noted.

"He confessed to detectives that he had done activities like this in the past and received monetary compensation for it," police said.

Arya was unable to post a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Oct. 1.