Northeast
Authorities sound alarm on 'gold bar scam' thats swindled millions from seniors
The FBI and authorities in Maryland are warning seniors to be on the lookout for scammers who have swindled millions of dollars from people in what’s being described as the “gold bar scam.”
The scam typically begins with pop-up ads or phone calls, where suspects pose as federal agents and instruct victims to convert their assets into gold bars for “safekeeping” by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Fox 5 DC reports.
Seven victims have collectively lost $6.3 million in the con with investigators looking into at least another dozen more cases. The victims are aged from between 61 and 94 years of age.
“People are losing their life savings, their homes, their trust, their security,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Bill DelBagno said at a press briefing on Monday.
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Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy speaking at the press briefing (Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office John McCarthy via Facebook)
“Unfortunately, it’s happening across the United States, and it’s happening here in Maryland,” he said.
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office says that four criminal cases involving five defendants are now pending in the state, but there are additional cases under investigation. Some of the money stolen came from cash pick-ups and cryptocurrency.
Among those arrested was Vipul Thakkar, 52, of Baltimore County, who was caught in a sting operation while allegedly attempting to steal more than 1 million dollars in gold bars from a 74-year-old man, according to the outlet.
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Stacks of 40 Troy ounce high fine gold bars are seen in a subcompartment of the vault inside the United States Mint in West Point, New York. (Daniel Barry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The victim had made nine trips to a local gold store to convert his cash into gold. He contacted authorities after recognizing the scam from news reports.
In another case, Ravinkle Mathon was arrested for attempting to steal $200,000 from an elderly Maryland man in his early 90s. The man’s concerned friends tipped off police, preventing the theft of his life savings.
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office is advising residents to protect themselves by not answering calls from unknown numbers and avoiding clicks on pop-up ads when using their computers.
“The reality is, once you’re a victim of one of these scams, the chances of getting your money back are not high,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
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Montgomery County Police Department vehicle on display. (Montgomery County Police Department)
McCarthy said that the investigation has links to India and China, with some of the calls targeting vulnerable people originating from call centers.
“Once you’re a victim of one of these scams, the chances of getting your money back is not high,” McCarty said, adding that none of the money stolen thus far has been recovered.
“Some [people] are potentially losing their homes.”
He said he fears there are potentially more victims as some victims are afraid to come forward after being scammed. He pleaded with those victims to come forward.
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Northeast
Rhode Island teacher accused of sexting, kissing high school boy
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A married high school physical education teacher has been indicted on two counts of third-degree sexual assault after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a male student.
Alisha Crins is accused of exchanging sexually suggestive messages and engaging in sexual contact with the student while he was enrolled at Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island as a 17-year-old, according to an affidavit cited by WPRI.
The investigation began after the former student filed a formal complaint with Rhode Island State Police in October, the documents obtained by WPRI show.
According to the affidavit, the student told investigators Crins began texting him while he was a sophomore after allegedly finding his cellphone number online.
A sign marks the main entrance to Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island. (Google Maps)
He said she initially asked him to do work for her while she was on vacation, but the two continued communicating through text messages and social media after that plan fell through.
The student alleged the relationship escalated during his junior year. He told investigators Crins frequently complimented his appearance and once asked to wear his jersey during a school pep rally.
He further alleged Crins invited him to meet near her Cranston home, where they kissed inside his vehicle. During a later encounter, she allegedly climbed into the back seat and engaged in sexual contact, according to the affidavit. The student denied having sexual intercourse with her.
The alleged assaults took place between April 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, according to WJAR.
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A Rhode Island State Police cruiser parked near a waterfront with boats visible in the background. (Rhode Island State Police Facebook)
When questioned by investigators, Crins denied “getting physical” beyond a single kiss but admitted to flirting and exchanging text messages that contained “sexual innuendos,” the affidavit states.
She also acknowledged sending photos and videos and told investigators the two discussed plans to have sex once he turned 18, though she said they never acted on those plans.
The Foster-Glocester Regional School District said Crins resigned from her role at the school Oct. 1, 2025, according to WJAR.
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File image of a woman texting. According to an affidavit, the student told investigators Crins began texting him while he was a sophomore after allegedly finding his cellphone number online. (iStock)
In a statement obtained by the outlet, the district said it is cooperating with authorities and referred further inquiries to state police.
Fox News Digital has reached out to state police for comment.
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Boston, MA
When did Southie get richy-rich? – The Boston Globe
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Born and raised in Southie, Heather Foley has seen her neighborhood morph over the past three decades of scrubbing, renovation, and new construction for higher-income new arrivals.
But even Foley was surprised to discover that her South Boston, where kids once went to the corner to buy milk and cigarettes for parents, has emerged with the city’s second-highest average income, even ahead of Charlestown and Beacon Hill.
Her first thought?: “I gotta start being nicer to my neighbors if that’s the kind of money they’re making.”
What’s a household?
Decades ago, when “Good Will Hunting” was filmed in the neighborhood and Southie was known as a working-class area, there were more kids around and maybe just a single breadwinner in some homes.
Since then, Southie saw more two-earner households, fewer kids, and spiffier rental units where three or four roommates could contribute to a “household.” The changes, along with spillover from the adjacent, pricier Seaport, or South Boston waterfront, are factors in Census data showing more than 40 percent of Southie households earn more than $200,000 a year.
Staying put
Foley, 46, a photo shoot producer, considers herself lucky. She didn’t move out to the South Shore like many neighborhood longtimers. She’s living in a family home on a block with residents — oldtimers and newer arrivals — who aren’t flipping properties for big bucks.
Another blessing, particularly valuable this winter? She has a driveway.
As a kid, she went to church and school at Gate of Heaven, St. Brigid, and St. Peter, and jokes that she’s “so sad I didn’t buy a three-decker with my First Communion money, because I probably could have.”
Waves of gentrification
She remembers the earlier waves of newcomers, when glassy sports bars like Stats Bar & Grille muscled in among longtime restaurants like Amrheins.
But now, even the popular Stats is moving out at the end of the month. The property owner is developing a five-story, mixed-use residential building at the site.
A small silver lining
Foley notes that some of the onetime “newcomers” have been here for three decades — and in some ways, have stabilized the place. Many have raised kids, who, like her son, may return to the neighborhood as young adults (albeit splitting a rented apartment with friends). Stats, the sports bar, says it will also return to the neighborhood’s thriving food scene.
“We have a lot of great restaurants now,” Foley says, “and everyone cleans up after their dog.”
Read: These maps show Boston’s wealthiest and most populous neighborhoods — plus other key trends.
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This newsletter was edited by Heather Ciras and produced by Ryan Orlecki.
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