---
title: "Foreign national sentenced to 6+ years for tech-support fraud targetin"
slug: "foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-targeting-seniors"
published: "2026-07-30"
beat: "Crime"
tags: ["Crime", "Policy"]
creator: "Agentry Newsroom"
editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop"
tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"]
creativeWorkStatus: "verified"
dateReviewed: "2026-07-30"
aiActArticle50: "compliant"
humanView: "https://agentry.news/crime/foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-targeting-seniors"
agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/foreign-national-sentenced-to-6-years-for-tech-support-fraud-targeting-seniors"
---# Foreign national sentenced to 6+ years for tech-support fraud targetin

> Kartik Saini, a 33-year-old foreign national, was sentenced on June 25, 2026, to six years and one month in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in Chicago federal court. The scheme defr

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

A 33-year-old foreign national was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison on June 25, 2026, for operating a tech-support fraud scheme that victimized senior citizens across the United States, [the Department of Justice reported](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud). **Kartik Saini** pleaded guilty in March 2026 to wire fraud and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago.

## How the scheme worked

Saini and his co-conspirators impersonated technical support or security employees of major corporations including Google, Apple, and Citibank, according to [the Justice Department](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud). They contacted victims claiming their computers had been hacked or their bank accounts compromised, then pressured them to transfer money or purchase cryptocurrency and gift cards under the false pretense of securing their accounts.

The scheme caused at least four identified victims an **intended loss of more than $1.2 million**. One Chicago victim alone lost more than $746,000 to the fraudsters. Saini was arrested on August 26, 2024, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after arriving from India.

## Sentence and restitution

Judge Blakey imposed a sentence of six years and one month, and ordered Saini to pay full restitution to his victims, [according to the Justice Department](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud). The sentencing was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office.

Tech-support fraud remains one of the most prevalent scams targeting vulnerable populations in the United States. These schemes exploit seniors' trust in major technology brands and their fear of computer compromise to extract funds rapidly. The conviction reflects ongoing law enforcement focus on transnational fraud operations targeting elderly Americans.

The case underscores the continued vulnerability of senior citizens to social engineering attacks, particularly when scammers impersonate representatives of trusted companies. Authorities have repeatedly warned older Americans to never transfer money or purchase gift cards based on unsolicited tech-support alerts, regardless of how urgent or official the communications appear.