Mays Landing Man Scammed for $70K by Fake FTC Official

Authorities say 20-year-old Gurpreet Singh posed as FTC head to extort money from victim.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 12:53pm

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A 20-year-old Queens man named Gurpreet Singh has been accused of scamming a Mays Landing, New Jersey resident out of nearly $70,000 by claiming to be the head of the Federal Trade Commission and threatening the victim with arrest if he did not pay. Singh will remain in jail as the case proceeds.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of phone scams targeting vulnerable individuals, often the elderly, and the need for greater public awareness and education to prevent such financial exploitation. It also raises concerns about the ability of scammers to impersonate government officials to lend credibility to their schemes.

The details

According to reports, Singh allegedly called the victim in Mays Landing the week of March 8 and claimed to be the head of the FTC. He then threatened the victim with arrest if he did not pay nearly $70,000 to avoid legal action. The victim complied with Singh's demands, transferring the money before authorities were able to intervene.

  • The alleged scam call took place the week of March 8, 2026.
  • Singh was arrested and will remain in jail as the case proceeds.

The players

Gurpreet Singh

A 20-year-old man from Queens, New York who is accused of posing as the head of the Federal Trade Commission to scam a Mays Landing resident out of nearly $70,000.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The U.S. government agency that Singh allegedly impersonated in order to lend credibility to his scam.

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What’s next

Singh will remain in jail as the case proceeds, and authorities will likely investigate whether he has targeted other victims in similar scams.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the importance of being vigilant against phone scams, verifying the identity of callers claiming to represent government agencies, and never providing sensitive financial information over the phone in response to threats of legal action.