(Image source from: Indiatimes.com)

An Indian American man in New Jersey has been found involved in an international phone fraud, which led to 83 people lose a total of $25,000.

The 25-year-old Mohammed Alam, from Edison, has pleaded guilty of theft of movable property. He has been guilty of conspiring with parties from a call center in India and using his company, Infusion Micro, LLC, to extract payments from clean-handed victims.

In sentence probation, Alam will also have to pay the entire $25,000 to his victims when he is sentenced on March 8.

The scam was brought to light when a Massachusetts resident complained that she was being contacted on behalf of Microsoft to fix her computer that she was having issues with. She was being assured of fixing the problem from a distance if she were to shell out a fee.

The Massachusetts Police Department then swung into action and exposed the scam. Police were able to trace the payments that were made to Infusion Micro, a company floated by Alam.

The further investigations revealed that the racket was widespread and people from states such as Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and North Carolina were affected too.

The accused pleaded guilty to the third-degree crime on Monday following a plea agreement with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor.

Alam was arrested on June 12 earlier this year and was charged for theft by deception.

The case also highlights the caution people should practice every time that unverified sources demand money for services. One is advised to report all phone scams to federal agencies.

How to Survive Phone Scams?

1-Register your number to National Do Not Call Registry
2-Always carry out absolute research on the company offering its services. Never pay any fee instantly. Give yourself a chance to think and react.
3-Never answer a call from the unknown contact number on the other end asks you if you can hear them. Your “yes” can be recorded and used to manipulate your acceptance to some other service.
4-Scammers can as well as indulge in spoofing. This takes place when the number flashing on your phone is familiar but the person on the other end is someone else. Hang up and report such calls.

-Sowmya Sangam