Computer Fraud Theft of $20,000 Leads to Arrest
Riverside - This past Saturday morning, the Riverside Township Police were contacted by a resident who reported that he was scammed out of approximately $20,000 in cash. The victim told the officers that he opened an email from a computer repair company stating there was an issue with his account regarding funds owed. A phone number was listed in the email. When the victim called the phone number, the person he spoke with confirmed that there was an error and that he needed to gain access to his computer remotely. When the victim permitted the person on the phone to access to his computer, the suspect showed him fake screenshots of what the victim believed to be his bank account showing an extra $20,000 in the account. The suspect told him that the company made an error and they incorrectly added an additional $20,000 to his bank account. The suspect convinced the victim that he needed to pay back the company $20,000 in the form of cash only. The victim, believing that he owed this company $20,000 was convinced to withdraw that amount in cash and wait for someone to come to his house to collect the money. Several hours later, a male suspect arrived at his residence and took the $20,000 from the victim.
Approximately a day later, the victim received another call stating that the same company made another error and that he now owed an additional $8,000. The victim then contacted the police.
Riverside Township Police Detectives worked with the victim to communicate with the suspect and, yesterday, a male suspect arrived at the house to collect the money. This time, Riverside Township Police Detectives were waiting for him. The suspect was identified as Kazi Tanvin Ahmed, 33 yrs, of Monmouth Junction, NJ. As a result of the ensuing investigation, Ahmed was charged with the following offenses:
2C:20-4 Theft by Deception (3rd degree)
2C:20-3 Theft (3rd degree)
2C:20-25 Criminal Computer Activity (3rd degree)
He was lodged at the Burlington County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
Any other Riverside residents who have experienced crimes of a similar nature are encouraged to contact the Riverside Township Police at 856-461-8820 x 115 or email at detectives@riversidepolicenj.org
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| Kazi Tanvin Ahmed, 33 yrs, of Monmouth Junction, NJ |
Online fraud and phishing scams are at an all time high. Please take the time to educate yourself on how to prepare against online phishing. The following is a link to the federal trade commission (FTC) site on how to recognize these types of scams.
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
"ALL SUSPECTS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW"