New York, Mar 30 (IANS: Two Indian-origin men have been arrested for allegedly stealing over $100,000 from a 78 year-old woman in Massachusetts via a computer virus scam, police said.

Nikit S Yadav, 22, and Raj Vipul Patel, 21, of Parsippany in New Jersey were involved in a computer virus scheme and demanded funds from the victim to remove unwanted items from their computer. The victim called a tech support number to assist with an issue with her computer last week.

The suspects were arrested after they returned to the victim's residence on Monday evening to collect money from her, the Yarmouth Police said in a media statement. Both are charged with conspiracy and larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses.They were held overnight at the Yarmouth Police Department and transferred to court for arraignment. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

An increasing number of senior people in the US are falling victim to government impersonation, sweepstakes, and robocall scams.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses.

The investigating bureau also said that senior citizens are less likely to report fraud.

In the five-year period ending December 31, 2020, the US Senate Special Committee on Aging Fraud Hotline received more than 8,000 complaints nationwide, according to the National Council on Aging.