WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Two men from Texas, identified as “Indian nationals” are accused of posing as federal law enforcement officials to defraud a Kansan.
Court documents showed that 27-year-old Venkateswara Reddy Chagamreddy, 27, of San Antonia and 29-year-old Praveeen Kommana, of Frisco, were each indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one county of interference with commerce by theft.
The United States Department of Justice explained that from May through September 2025, , Chagamreddy and Kommana are accused of conspiring with others to defraud a victim in Kansas.
The Justice Department didn’t provide an age for the fraud target but did explain that the men, members of a a conspiracy, are accused of primarily targeting retired seniors. The elaborate scam involves falsely asserting that they’re with a government agency and trying to intimidate their targets, claiming that the victims’ identity “has been compromised in ways that could result in jail time and major financial loss.”
In the case involving Chagamreddy and Kommana, the Justice Department said the men posed as FBI agents and allegedly convinced their target to purchase more than $250,000 in gold and give it to them. The plan was to convince the victim that this was going to a government agency for safe keeping, the Justice Department explained.
Ultimately, the objective for the alleged scammers is “[to convince] victims to transfer their assets, primarily in gold, to the federal government to protect themselves against further crimes,” the Justice Department said.
The Justice Department advised that, “The FBI will never call, email or otherwise contact private citizens to demand payment, threaten arrest or request personal or sensitive information.”
You can report such fraud attempts online at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. The agency encourages people who have been victims of internet crimes and/or financial fraud and schemes to report via ic3.gov.
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