Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced that a man from Edison pleaded guilty for taking part in an international based computer scam which conned 83 senior citizens out of cash totaling $25,000.
Officials say Mohammed Alam, 25, of Edison pleaded guilty during a hearing on January 7, 2018 to third degree theft of moveable property.
Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley, Alam will be sentenced to a term of probation and must pay full restitution to his victims in the amount of $25,000.
According to authorities, Alam conspired with parties from a call center in India that used his Edison based company, Infusion Micro, LLC to accept payments from unsuspecting victims.
The scam was initially uncovered by Detective Sergeant Aaron Wojtkowski of the Newbury Police Department, in Massachusetts, when a Newbury resident reported she had been contacted by someone on behalf of Microsoft. The caller claimed the elderly victim had a problem with her computer and for a fee they could fix the problem remotely.
The investigation found that between August 1, 2015 to January 1, 2018, the scam cheated residents living in Massachusetts, as well as residents in Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The case was referred to the Edison Police Department when Newbury Police traced the payment to the Edison based company, Infusion Micro, LLC, which was owned by the defendant.
Detective Leslie Yackel of the Edison Police Department arrested and charged Alam on June 12, 2018 with theft by deception in the third degree.
“The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute scammers who prey on the vulnerable.” Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
People who receive phone calls seeking money should verify the legitimacy of the call by contacting the police, the actual company or by having a friend or relative verify the caller’s information.
Officials say Alam is scheduled to be sentenced in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Benjamin Bucca on March 8, 2019.