Indian Man Arrested in $10 Million Tech Support Fraud Scheme That Exploited Elderly Victims Across North America

[ShruteSastry]

Vinoth Ponmaran allegedly was a leader of a technical support scheme that deceived victims into paying for phony computer repair services.

 

 

An Indian man has been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly defrauding over 7,500 victims in North America of over $10 million. Vinoth Ponmaran, 34, convinced his targets, usually the elderly, to buy anti-virus protection by falsely claiming that malware had infected their computers, according to a Department of Justice press release.

According to the allegations contained in the superseding indictment, as well as court filings and statements, Ponmaran was a member of a criminal fraud ring based in the U.S. and India from approximately March 2015 through December 2018. He also recruited co-conspirators here to register fraudulent corporate entities and open bank accounts that were used to receive fraud proceeds from victims of the scheme. He also directed co-conspirators to wire fraud proceeds from the United States to accounts in India. “The fraud ring’s primary objective was to trick victims into believing that their computers were infected with malware, in order to deceive them into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for phony computer repair services,” the press release said. 

In an attempt to give the false appearance of legitimacy, in some instances, the pop-up window included, without authorization, the corporate logo of a well-known, legitimate technology company. In fact, no virus had infected the victims’ computers, and the technical support phone numbers were not associated with the legitimate technology company. Rather, these representations were false and were designed to trick victims into paying the Fraud Ring to “fix” a problem that did not exist. And while the purported “virus” was a hoax, the pop-up window itself did cause various victims’ computers to completely “freeze,” thereby preventing these victims from accessing the data and files in their computers—which caused some victims to call the phone number listed on the pop-up window.  

In exchange for victims’ payment of several hundred or thousand dollars (depending on the precise “service” victims purchased), the purported technician remotely accessed the victim’s computer and ran an anti-virus tool, which is free and available on the Internet. The Fraud Ring also re-victimized various victims, after they had made payments to purportedly “fix” their tech problems.

Ponmaran’s co-defendants, Romana Leyva and Ariful Haque were both sentenced earlier this year, following their respective guilty pleas. Leyva was sentenced to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and she was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $4,679,586.93 and restitution of $2,707,882.91. Haque was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay a forfeiture of over $38,000 and restitution of over $470,500.

[ShruteSastry]

Source: https://americankahani.com/business/indian-man-arrested-in-10-million-tech-support-fraud-scheme-that-exploited-elderly-victims-across-north-america/

[DesiPokiri]

Siggu sheram leni vade fraud chesi jeevitham sagistadu

[argadorn]

2 minutes ago, DesiPokiri said:

Siggu sheram leni vade fraud chesi jeevitham sagistadu

Don’t drag this uncke fraud braud ani … nuvve ga three jobs chesthuna anavu … 

[DesiPokiri]

1 minute ago, argadorn said:

Don’t drag this uncke fraud braud ani … nuvve ga three jobs chesthuna anavu … 

Dongathanam cheyatle ga uncle, nannu chusi edavaku ra 

[argadorn]

2 minutes ago, DesiPokiri said:

Dongathanam cheyatle ga uncle, nannu chusi edavaku ra 

Nenu chesthuna 4 jobs don’t worry … I am saying fraud antay cleint ki manam chesedhi nastamey ye uncle …

[DesiPokiri]

Just now, argadorn said:

Nenu chesthuna 4 jobs don’t worry … I am saying fraud antay cleint ki manam chesedhi bastante ye uncle …

I don’t even know or care who you are what you do , but you are following what I do, so nannu chusi edavaku uncle, let me have my fun 

[argadorn]

1 minute ago, DesiPokiri said:

I don’t even know or care who you are what you do , but you are following what I do, so nannu chusi edavaku uncle, let me have my fun 

Two replies echa ne posts ki danike  ke follow anukuntunav ga … db motham nuvvu posts vesthay be sodhi vinali ga mari … stop posting then you won’t be followed 

[DesiPokiri]

Just now, argadorn said:

Two replies echa ne posts ki danike  ke follow anukuntunav ga … db motham nuvvu posts vesthay be sodhi vinali ga mari … stop posting then you won’t be followed 

Ulcer tablet vesko uncle, nannu chusi edavaku

[tennisluvrredux]

3 minutes ago, argadorn said:

Two replies echa ne posts ki danike  ke follow anukuntunav ga … db motham nuvvu posts vesthay be sodhi vinali ga mari … stop posting then you won’t be followed 

Thupuk gallaki entha cheppina waste le bro, ochi malli malli umminchukuntaaru antunna @Android_Halwa and @veerigadu

[DesiPokiri]

Just now, tennisluvrredux said:

Thupuk gallaki entha cheppina waste le bro, ochi malli malli umminchukuntaaru antunna @Android_Halwa and @veerigadu

Rei LK ga ninnu emana annana ippudu naa matuku Nenu silent ga unte

[argadorn]

Just now, DesiPokiri said:

Ulcer tablet vesko uncle, nannu chusi edavaku

Nenu endhuku edusthanu man … neeku alavatu anukunta edvatam evaru nuvvu nuvvo celebrity anukuntunava endhi end of the day yiu are koolie fellow .. don’t drag this it’s cheap funny fellow 

[Picheshwar]

Lol idedo lorry venaka rasinattu 🤣

[DesiPokiri]

1 minute ago, argadorn said:

Nenu endhuku edusthanu man … neeku alavatu anukunta edvatam evaru nuvvu nuvvo celebrity anukuntunava endhi end of the day yiu are koolie fellow .. don’t drag this it’s cheap funny fellow 

Ignore my posts uncle, why are u getting frustrated ? Why shirt tearing, ulcer tablet vesko 

[argadorn]

3 minutes ago, DesiPokiri said:

Ignore my posts uncle, why are u getting frustrated ? Why shirt tearing, ulcer tablet vesko 

Ok  nenu ekada ayyanu vayya nenu vesina post enti nuvvu anna post chudu .. take it easy enjoy