Another Day, Another Indian Arrested For Fraud In USA?

These days, we have been hearing several cases of Indian individuals getting arrested and apprehended by the United States authorities in social activities. Now we have another addition to the list as an Indian individual was arrested in a job fraud case.

A major fraud case has shaken Optum, Inc., a subsidiary of United Health Group, after a former senior executive was found guilty in a ghost job scheme.

Karan Gupta, 47, who served as Senior Director of Data Analytics, was convicted by a federal jury for orchestrating a fraud that cost the company more than 1.2 million dollars.

According to prosecutors, Gupta hired a longtime friend into a managerial data engineering role in 2015 despite the friend being unqualified for the position. Authorities said a fake résumé was submitted to secure the job, and Gupta later became his direct supervisor.

For nearly four years, the friend reportedly did little to no actual work. Investigators found minimal system logins, almost no emails, and no meaningful interaction with colleagues. Despite this, he received a six figure salary along with raises and bonuses.

Prosecutors revealed that Gupta demanded more than half of the salary as kickbacks. To hide the scheme, cash withdrawals and bank transfers were allegedly used so Gupta could access the funds.

The fraud came to light after Gupta was fired in 2019 in connection with another issue. He now faces possible prison time, heavy fines, and restitution.