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Indian-origin man in US accused of $13mn wire fraud

Yadav and his co-conspirators, including individuals located in India, engaged in fraudulent activities between 2017 and 2023.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the arrest of a New Jersey man in connection with a technical support scam. The scam specifically targeted over 7,000 victims across the United States, with the majority being small business owners and elderly individuals. The victims were collectively defrauded of over $13 million.

Manoj Yadav, aged 40 and residing in Clifton, New Jersey, has been charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is set to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court in connection with this charge. “We allege Yadav lied to software users and forced them to pay for services that would usually come free with their initial purchase,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The amount he's accused of stealing from his victims and the number of victims seem shocking; however, we are seeing an incredible increase in all types of tech support scams. The fraudsters are pretty savvy in how they con money out of people, even those of us who think we’re smart enough to not fall for it.”

According to court documents and statements, between 2017 and 2023, Manoj Yadav and his co-conspirators, including individuals located in India, engaged in fraudulent activities. They portrayed themselves as representatives of a technology support company supposedly affiliated with a prominent U.S. business and accounting software firm known for its widely used accounting software product. These fraudulent activities were conducted under various false business names.

The scheme involved the conspirators contacting victims, falsely claiming to offer technical assistance for resolving issues with the accounting software. Once victims sought technical support under these deceptive pretenses, they would either be subjected to excessive charges or pressured into paying additional subscription fees by the conspirators.

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