亚利桑那州Tucson：印度籍男子为针对老年人的技术支持诈骗洗钱被判8年、另赔约240万美元
美国司法部亚利桑那区联邦检察官办公室宣布，印度公民 Ahmed Maqbul Syed（60岁，曾居住在伊利诺伊州）10月27日在亚利桑那州 Tucson 被联邦地区法官 John C. Hinderaker 判处96个月（8年）监禁。Syed 此前已就串谋洗钱罪认罪，法官同时判令他向受害者赔偿约240万美元。
据司法部通报，Syed 参与了一场针对全美老年受害者、包括亚利桑那州受害者的「技术支持」与「政府冒充」诈骗洗钱串谋。受害者通常先被虚假的电脑弹窗信息欺骗，弹窗谎称电脑出现问题或已经死机；当受害者按指示致电求助时，接通的却是冒充技术支持人员或政府代表的骗子。
骗子谎称受害者的账户已被黑客入侵、个人信息已经泄露，在个别案件中甚至诬称受害者账户与儿童色情或其他犯罪有关联，随后指示受害者提取或转移资金，声称是为了「保护」资产。受害者被要求购买黄金并提取现金、交给冒充政府官员的人，也被要求购买礼品卡并把卡号交给骗子；至少一名受害者还被指示向比特币自动取款机存入现金。一些受害者因此损失了大半生的积蓄，Syed 在串谋中负责清洗这些诈骗所得。
本案由联邦调查局（FBI）凤凰城分局 Tucson 办公室与 Marana 警察局调查，FBI 印第安纳波利斯分局及伊利诺伊州、威斯康星州、得克萨斯州和印第安纳州多地执法机构协助；起诉由亚利桑那区联邦检察官办公室 Tucson 办公室负责，案件编号为24-CR-08825-TUC-JCH。
Indian National Ahmed Maqbul Syed Sentenced to Eight Years in Arizona for Laundering Money from Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced that Ahmed Maqbul Syed, 60, a citizen of India and a former resident of Illinois, was sentenced on October 27 in Tucson to 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker. Syed previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was also ordered to pay approximately $2.4 million in restitution to the victims.
According to the Justice Department, Syed participated in a conspiracy to launder proceeds from a widespread 'tech support' and 'government imposter' fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims around the United States, including Arizona. Victims were initially deceived by fraudulent computer pop-up messages warning them of a computer problem or causing their computer to freeze. When victims followed instructions to call for assistance, they were connected instead to scammers posing as tech support or government representatives.
The scammers convinced victims that their accounts had been hacked and their information compromised, which was not true. In some cases, victims were wrongly led to believe their accounts had been linked to child pornography or other crimes. The scammers then instructed victims to withdraw or transfer money under the guise of protecting their assets. Victims were directed to purchase gold and withdraw cash and turn those funds over to individuals posing as government officials, and to purchase gift cards and transfer the numbers to the scammers. At least one victim was also directed to make cash deposits into a bitcoin ATM. Some victims lost most of their life savings.
The FBI Phoenix Division's Tucson office and the Marana Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance from the FBI's Indianapolis Division and local law enforcement agencies in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and Indiana. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson handled the prosecution. The case number is 24-CR-08825-TUC-JCH.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：美国司法部大楼本体（四级固定图库 fed-doj-building；当事人无官方照片，资料图）。 / The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building (GSM fixed asset library; file photo, no official photo of the defendant is available).
