Seattle (KONP staff) – A 30-year-old SeaTac man was indicted yesterday by a grand jury for two counts of mail fraud related to his participation in a scheme to defraud elderly victims across the country.

According to the indictment, between August and December of 2020, Arifkhan Pathan played a role in defrauding victims of more than $400,000.

Investigators became aware of suspicious packages arriving at Seattle UPS and FedEx locations last year. The investigation revealed the packages were filled with cash and were sent by victims from as far away as New York, Texas, and Colorado.

Victims in the case said they had received a telephone call from someone who claimed to be employed by the Social Security Administration who told them their Social Security number had been compromised, and the only way to protect the victim’s money was to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash from their bank accounts and send it to an “agent” elsewhere in the country for safe-keeping.

The investigation revealed the callers were connected to an overseas call center.

PATHAN deposited the money in various bank accounts that could be accessed by his co-schemers. He was paid a commission on the money of about two percent.

Mail fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison.