July 28, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
A 68-year-old Upper Milford Township woman was scammed out of more than $3 million out of embarrassment, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
It’s yet another fraud case that is hard to imagine happening, but they just keep coming.
Holihan and police in Kingston Borough, Luzerne County, said the victim — who will not be identified — was contacted over her computer about the alleged purchase of $18,000 of pornographic material.
That set the woman up. Embarrassment is a tool for con artists to defraud victims, Holihan said.
Acting upon the advice of fraudsters who said her bank account had been “compromised,” the woman repeatedly bought gold bars and handed them over to couriers.
After an investigation, 25-year-old Dharmikkumar Sutariya of Scranton was charged with two counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking, a felony, and several other charges, Holihan’s statement said. The suspect is in custody in Luzerne County.
Holihan’s advice: “This investigation is another reminder, especially for older residents, to not give out personal bank information on the phone or computer. Banks and other financial institutions won’t ask for passwords or account information over the phone or by email.
Anything that is of value and untraceable – gold, jewels, gift cards and cryptocurrency – is very often linked to fraud and will not be requested as legitimate payment.”
Here’s the statement from District Attorney Holihan:
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
LEHIGH COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Gavin P. Holihan
District Attorney
July 25, 2025
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan, Pennsylvania State Police and Kingston Borough (Luzerne County) Police announce charges in a gold bar theft investigation that occurred in Upper Milford Township. Dharmikkumar Sutariya, DOB 3/27/2000, of Scranton, is charged with two counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, both felonies of the second degree; Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the second degree; Theft by Deception – False Impression, a felony of the third degree; and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, a felony of the third degree.
Sutariya is currently in custody in Luzerne County.
On June 10, 2025, Trooper Francis J. Vanore III of the Troop M barracks was contacted by Detective John Anthony of the Kingston Borough Police.
Anthony said after conducting a fraud investigation in May 2025, he identified a possible victim in Upper Milford Township.
Vanore made contact with the 68-year-old victim who lived in Upper Milford Township. The victim’s name will not be released.
The victim told state police that in January 2025, she had received a computer notification that someone had used her bank account to purchase $18,000 for pornography. The victim didn’t ask for help because she was embarrassed by the allegation that she had purchased pornography. This is a tactic that scammers use to get victims to comply.
The notification the victim received included a phone number she could call to speak with who she thought was the “fraud department” at her bank.
When the victim called the phone number provided to her, she spoke with someone who purported to be an agent with the “federal trade commission.” That “agent” said the bank account had been compromised.
The “agent” also told the victim to remove the funds from her compromised account and directed her to purchase gold bars and give them to “couriers”. She was told the “couriers” would retain the gold bars for safe keeping. The “couriers” were part of the scam.
From February 2025 through May 2025, the victim made large purchases of gold bars and had provided them to the “couriers” as directed by the scammers.
The investigation revealed on May 13, 2025, Sutariya arrived at the victim’s home, acting as a “courier”, and was given two gold bars valued at more than $215,400.
At this point in the ongoing investigation that spans both Lehigh and Luzerne counties, the loss to the victim is in excess of $3 million.
This investigation is another reminder, especially for older residents, to not give out personal bank information on the phone or computer. Banks and other financial institutions won’t ask for passwords or account information over the phone or by email.
Anything that is of value and untraceable – gold, jewels, gift cards and cryptocurrency – is very often linked to fraud and will not be requested as legitimate payment.
This case was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Francis J. Vanore and Kingston Borough Police Detective John Anthony and will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Ramma R. Mineo, supervisor of the Elder Abuse Task Force.
As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed are
merely accusations; and the accused, Dharmikkumar Sutariya, is presumed innocent until and
unless proven guilty.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 