Police replace $700,000 in gold with chocolate coins to catch scammer

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Okay, so I heard this crazy story! Apparently, this sweet 79-year-old woman was almost completely cleaned out by a phone scammer. But get this – when the guy actually showed up to collect the money, she totally turned the tables on him! Instead of handing over her savings, she gave him a bag of chocolates… and the cops slapped a pair of handcuffs on him! Seriously, talk about a power move!

This scam began with criminals calling the woman and falsely claiming her Social Security number was connected to terrorist activities and illegal money transfers. They convinced her that to keep her savings safe, she had to turn it into gold and give it to a delivery person.

She sent $700,000 to a coin dealer called Grand Rapids Coins, located in Kent County, and requested 145 one-ounce American Eagle gold coins.

Coin dealer spots red flags and calls police

I read this incredible story on WOOD TV8 about a shop owner named Ben Soldaat. Apparently, he had a feeling something wasn’t right with a customer who came in – she seemed really lost and didn’t even seem interested in what he was selling! She kept trying to rush things, which raised his suspicions. He cleverly delayed the sale and quietly called the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. It’s amazing how aware he was!

When deputies arrived, the woman was still talking to the scammer, who called himself Eric. An investigator pretended to be her and spoke with the scammer, setting up a plan for a courier to pick up the gold from a nearby location.

Yug B. Chauhan, age 20, was arrested immediately after accepting a bag of chocolate gold coins from an undercover officer who was disguised as an older woman at their meeting location.

Chauhan told police he was simply delivering a package, having been contacted through WhatsApp by someone named “Bhawsh” who told him to take an Uber to the destination. He’s currently being held on $100,000 bail and is facing two serious felony charges, each of which could result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years. He also has a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The full $700,000 was refunded to the victim’s bank account.

This isn’t the first time a complex operation has caught someone who scams older people. Back in 2025, Pierogi and Trilogy Media worked with the FBI to shut down a scheme that stole $65 million from thousands of victims nationwide.

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2026-06-13 13:49