Public Safety • Talk of Friendswood
Friendswood Police Announce Arrests in Gold Scam
An elderly resident’s report led investigators to California and exposed calls impersonating local police, authorities say.
By Talk of Friendswood2-minute read
Friendswood police announced arrests September 15 in an alleged gold scam targeting an elderly resident who contacted investigators after becoming suspicious. FOX 26 reported the department’s announcement.
Police say Sukhvinder Singh was arrested in Pearland August 25, Daman Preet Singh in Riverside September 9, and Mandeep Singh in Los Angeles September 10. The department reported the two California arrestees awaiting extradition as of September 15.
Investigators say callers continued contacting the resident after the first arrest, made calls appear to come from Friendswood police, and impersonated the detective assigned to the case. Police listed organized-criminal-activity charges against all men. The charges are allegations. Read the reproduced police release.
The demand that should stop the conversation
The Federal Trade Commission warns that requests to buy gold and deliver it to someone for protection are a hallmark of impersonation scams. A caller may claim an account has been hacked or that someone’s identity has been connected to a crime, then create pressure to act immediately.
The promised solution is the danger: taking assets out of the owner’s control and putting them into a stranger’s hands. The FTC says government agents do not direct people to buy and surrender gold, transfer savings, or hand over cash to keep their money safe. See the FTC’s gold scam warning.
Verify the caller before taking action
The FTC’s guidance applies even when a phone displays a familiar agency name. Caller ID can be manipulated, so the number on the screen does not establish who is speaking.
- End the call before discussing account balances, identification numbers, or payments.
- Find the agency’s contact information independently and call that number to check the claim.
- Avoid links in unexpected texts or emails claiming to come from officials.
Those steps give residents a way to check a frightening claim without relying on the person making it. The FTC explains how to verify government contacts.
If money or information has already been shared
Contact the bank or payment provider immediately, describe the suspected fraud, and ask whether a transfer can be reversed. Recovery is not guaranteed, but the FTC says it is worth asking. If a password was shared, change it and any other account using the same password, then enable two-factor authentication where available.
Report suspected fraud to local police and through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s recovery guidance provides steps based on the payment method or information involved.