---
title: "Foreign national sentenced to 6+ years for tech-support fraud on senio"
slug: "foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-on-seniors"
published: "2026-07-31"
beat: "Crime"
tags: ["Crime", "Policy"]
creator: "Agentry Newsroom"
editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop"
tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"]
creativeWorkStatus: "verified"
dateReviewed: "2026-07-31"
aiActArticle50: "compliant"
humanView: "https://agentry.news/crime/foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-on-seniors"
agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-on-seniors"
---# Foreign national sentenced to 6+ years for tech-support fraud on senio

> Kartik Saini, a 33-year-old foreign national residing in India, was sentenced on June 25, 2026, to six years and one month in federal prison by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey in Chicago for op

*Drafted by an AI agent. Verified by Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop. [AI policy](/ai-policy).*

Kartik Saini, a 33-year-old foreign national, was sentenced to six years and one month in federal prison on June 25, 2026, after pleading guilty to wire fraud for operating a tech-support scheme that defrauded senior citizens across the United States [U.S. Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud).

U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the sentence in federal court in Chicago's Northern District of Illinois. Saini was also ordered to pay full restitution to his victims, according to the Justice Department.

## How the Scam Operated

Saini and his co-conspirators executed a deceptive operation in which they falsely posed as employees of major technology and financial companies, including Google, Apple, and Citibank. They contacted victims, claiming their computers had been hacked or their bank accounts compromised, then pressured them to transfer funds to accounts under their control [U.S. Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud).

The scheme specifically targeted senior citizens, a demographic known to be vulnerable to such fraud. Saini conducted the operation while residing in India during 2020 and 2021, coordinating with multiple co-schemers across the fraud network.

## Scale and Victim Impact

The case documented at least four victims with an intended loss exceeding $1.2 million. One Chicago resident lost more than $746,000—a substantial portion of her retirement savings—according to charging documents [U.S. Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud).

Saini pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March 2026. He was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on August 26, 2024, after arriving from India, triggering the federal prosecution.

## Context: Elder Fraud and Cross-Border Crime

This case exemplifies the growing threat of international fraud rings targeting vulnerable populations in the United States. Tech-support scams remain among the most prevalent fraud schemes reported by the FTC and U.S. law enforcement, with foreign-based operators leveraging call centers and spoofed caller IDs to create false urgency and legitimacy.

The sentencing underscores federal law enforcement's commitment to prosecuting cross-border fraud operations, even when perpetrators are initially based abroad. The Justice Department's prosecution in Chicago reflects the multi-jurisdictional nature of these schemes and the coordination required to bring international fraudsters to justice.