Indian National Kartik Saini Sentenced to Six Years in Tech-Support Scam That Targeted Seniors

Case from 2026 (U.S. Attorney's Office release: July 7, 2026). Published on Scammers.com Oct. 16, 2026; case status is current as of that date.

Kartik Saini, 33, a foreign national who ran a "tech support" fraud from his native India, was sentenced on June 25, 2026, to six years and one month in federal prison for a scheme that stole from senior citizens in the United States, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced [1]. One victim, a Chicago resident, lost more than $746,000, a large part of her retirement savings, according to the release.

How the scheme worked

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

1. Fake company staff: In 2020 and 2021, Saini and co-schemers told people in the U.S. they were tech support or security employees of large companies such as Google, Apple or Citibank.
2. Fake hack: Victims were told their computers had been hacked and their bank accounts compromised.
3. "Safe" transfers: Victims were persuaded to move large sums to bank accounts that the companies would supposedly hold safely while law enforcement investigated. Saini and his co-schemers actually controlled those accounts.
4. Crypto and gift cards: Saini also persuaded some victims to send cryptocurrency or gift cards.
5. Scale: He defrauded at least four victims, with an intended loss of more than $1.2 million.

The person sentenced

Kartik Saini, 33, Indian national [1]

• Arrest: Aug. 26, 2024, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after arriving from India.
• Plea: pleaded guilty in March 2026 to wire fraud in federal court in Chicago.
• Sentence: six years and one month in federal prison, imposed June 25, 2026, by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, plus full restitution to victims.
• Prosecution: Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih; investigated by the FBI Chicago Field Office.

"Defendant's scheme caused significant financial loss and emotional trauma to victims," Shih wrote in the government's sentencing memorandum, according to the release [1].

Red flags

• An unsolicited call or pop-up saying your computer has been hacked.
• Anyone claiming to be from Google, Apple or your bank who says you must move money to keep it safe. Real companies never ask this.
• Requests for gift cards or cryptocurrency to "protect" your accounts.
• Instructions to keep the call secret from family or bank staff.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Hang up and call your bank using the number on the back of your card.
2. Never give remote access to your computer to an unsolicited caller.
3. Report tech-support scams to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. People 60 and older can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Kartik Saini, 33	N.D. Ill. (Judge Blakey)	Pleaded guilty to wire fraud March 2026; sentenced June 25, 2026, to 6 years 1 month in prison and full restitution	[1]

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Foreign National Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Conducting 'Tech Support' Fraud Scheme That Victimized Senior Citizens in United States," July 7, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-more-six-years-federal-prison-conducting-tech-support-fraud

---

Corrections and updates: If you are named in this article, or represent someone who is, and believe anything here is inaccurate or out of date (including a dismissal, acquittal, or change in case status), please contact us at editorandchief@scammers.com. We will review it and update the article promptly.