Federal Authorities Capture Illegal Alien Involved in Fairhope Gold Bars Scam
By J. Thomas Wade
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
July 2, 2026
FAIRHOPE, AL. Authorities have an illegal alien from Nepal who is accused of scamming a Fairhope couple now in custody after his alleged partner in crime was arrested in December 2025.
Authorities have been trying to locate Saurav Sharma him in Georgia.
Sharma and Pradeep Patel, of India, are accused of running an illegal online operation that targeted online users.
The victims of the scheme from Fairhope told investigators that the wife received a pop-up message on her iPad warning her account was compromised. She transferred money to rectify the fraudulent warning. The couple was convinced to allow the hackers to access their computer to purchase gold bars. The bars were shipped to the couple’s home, where Patel and Sharma allegedly traveled to pick them up.
Patel, who was in the United States with an expired visa, was also linked to scams in South Carolina and Mississippi.
They are both charged with federal conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Authorities are also continuing to investigate other similar crimes that may have been committed by the two men.
Sharma’s visa expired in 2023.
The men are being held and are expected to go on trial in federal court in August.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SUPPORT OUR “LOCAL” NEWS
https://bluerammedia.com/DONATE/
