https://wtmj.com/news/2025/09/10/brookfield-man-charged-with-laundering-1-million-in-phantom-hacker-scam/

MILWAUKEE — A man from Brookfield has been charged with laundering over $1 million from elderly victims in a “Phantom Hacker Scam.”

A federal grand jury indicted 41-year-old Ankurkumar Patel with one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of substantive money laundering in August.

The indictment alleges that Patel conspired with others to launder money in multiple states, including a victim in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Patel used a “Phantom Hacker Scam,” a type of fraud that primarily targets elderly victims. The scheme involves a fraudster posing as customer service or government agent who contacts a victim with false claims of identify theft or hacked bank accounts. The fraudster then refers the victim to a co-conspirator posing as a law enforcement agent, who directs the victim to move their funds in cash or physical gold to a third-party account.

If convicted of both charges, Patel could face up to 30 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.