Two person were catch this week in connexion with a fraud scheme that misrepresent G of dupe into pay for invented tech services that they did n’t need .
The Department of Justiceannouncedthat the two individuals Romana Leyva , 35 , and Ariful Haque , 33 , were arrest Wednesday for their alleged participation in the role player scheme , which involved convincing victims — many of whom were aged — in both the U.S. and Canada that they needed technical school and computer virus protection services that were neither real nor required .
Between March 2015 and December 2018 , both Leyva and Haque were allegedly postulate with the dupery ring responsible for the offense . According to an unsealedindictment , the scheme involve target dupe with pop - up windows — sometimes under the guise of being a legitimate technical school company — that exact their computer had been infected with a virus and directed them to call a bit for proficient supporting . In some cases , the message threatened that if the individual closed the window or shut down their computer , it would either bork their machine or leave in a “ complete data red ink . ”
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Once drug user contacted the numeral , they were connected with a fake technician . To convince dupe to hand over money , after receiving “ permission ” from the dupe , the fraud ring allegedly remotely accessed the individual ’s figurer , loaded an anti - virus tool that ’s usable for free online , and inform the somebody that their estimator was infected with a virus ( which , again , was a lie ) .
In many cases , the fraudsters were able-bodied to convert victims to pay one C or even 1000 of dollars for the fake service for the supposed emergence . The crime closed chain was able to take aim payment methods by leave alone a textbook file cabinet with instruction on victims ’ electronic computer .
The bill of indictment further alleges that some victim were scammed again by the fraudsters . Contacted by the surgery again , victim were told that the company that they ’d in the beginning paid for lifetime reenforcement was shut down and needed to return them . After obtaining a victim ’s bank account information , the operation “ claimed to have give out too large of a refund , due to typographic error … and instructed the dupe to ‘ recoup ’ the fraud band thousands of dollar sign , through talent cards , ” the indictment allege .
According to the DOJ , the outline was able to successfully scam “ at least ” 7,500 victim out of a combined $ 10 million . Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in astatementthat the outline “ preyed on the elderly . ”
“ The conspirators allegedly caused soda pop - up windows to appear on victims ’ data processor — pop - up windows that exact , falsely , that a virus had infected the victim ’s reckoner , ” Berman said . “ Through this and other misrepresentations , this fraud scheme deceive thousands of dupe , including some of lodge ’s most vulnerable members , into pay a total of more than $ 10 million . ”
Leyva was nab Wednesday in Las Vegas , while Haque was hold the same day in Bellerose , New York . Both are charged with one count of telegram fraud and one count of conspiracy to invest wire fake . Each count carry a maximum penalty of 20 year internment .
Crime
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