A California man is in custody after Friendswood police say he acted as a courier in a gold scam that cost an elderly resident approximately $185,000 in gold bars and $25,000 in gift cards.
Rajdeep Singh was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Fort Bend County and charged with theft of property valued between $150,000 and $300,000 with an elderly victim enhancement. His bond was set at $5 million. An immigration detainer was also placed, according to a Friendswood Police Department news release reported by Fox 26 Houston.
The case marks the second gold scam investigation targeting a Friendswood senior this year. It is separate from a prior case in which three California men were arrested and face a combined $16 million in bonds.
How the scam unfolded
The victim told investigators she had been communicating since August with a man who falsely claimed to be a federal agent. The caller allegedly told her that her Social Security information and her husband's had been compromised. He then allegedly convinced her to purchase $25,000 in gift cards and convert approximately $185,000 into gold bars to "protect" her financial assets.
The gold bar exchange took place Sept. 10.
The investigation began Tuesday, Sept. 15, after the victim's family grew concerned about suspicious phone calls and financial transactions. The family urged the victim to contact police after seeing a Friendswood Police Department news release warning about gold scams targeting elderly residents.
Arrest and charges
Friendswood police, with assistance from the Meadows Place Police Department, located Singh in Fort Bend County and took him into custody. The Galveston County District Attorney's Office accepted the theft charge with the elderly victim enhancement.
Police said they believe Singh may have met with multiple victims in the Houston area during the past four weeks.
"These criminals are terrorizing our elderly community and taking their life savings," Friendswood Police Chief Josh Rogers said in the department's release. "They are extremely persistent but so are we … We are nowhere near done."
A growing pattern
Friendswood police on Sept. 15 announced three other California men had been charged in a separate gold scam targeting a different elderly Friendswood resident. In that case, Sukhvinder Singh, 39, Daman Preet Singh, 35, and Mandeep Singh, 40, face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, with bonds ranging from $1 million to $10 million. Investigators in that case said they suspect the men are connected to a larger, well-funded group based in India, ABC13 reported.
In March 2026, the department announced six arrests in a separate gold scam case involving an estimated $2.8 million in losses among elderly victims in several Texas cities, according to KGTX7.
Friendswood police said legitimate government agencies and law enforcement officers will never direct someone to convert money into gold, cryptocurrency, gift cards or other assets for safekeeping or to avoid arrest. Anyone who recognizes Singh or his vehicle is asked to contact the Friendswood Police Department at 281-996-3300.
