A man authorities say participated in a scam to steal victims’ banking information by offering phony computer tech support services has pleaded guilty, federal prosecutors say.
Abrar Anjum, 34, a citizen of India, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Providence.
Under the scam, call center operators based in India falsely represented themselves as Microsoft Corp. associates and told victims that malware or viruses had been detected on their computers, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island.
They offered services to remove the malware, which gave them access to victims’ online banking user names and passwords that was then used to steal money from victims’ accounts, prosecutors said.
Anjum allowed members of the conspiracy to use U.S. bank accounts under his control, and in exchange he was allowed to keep a portion of the stolen funds, prosecutors said.
He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for Oct. 21.
Related: Tech Support Scammers Exploiting Unpatched Firefox Bug
Related: Tech Support Scammers Fined in US, Jailed in UK
Related: Trend Micro Employee Sold Customer Data to Scammers

More from Associated Press
- Google Suspends Chinese Shopping App Amid Security Concerns
- Silicon Valley Bank Seized by FDIC as Depositors Pull Cash
- Congress Members Warned of Significant Health Data Breach
- Cyberattack Hits Major Hospital in Spanish City of Barcelona
- European Police, FBI Bust International Cybercrime Gang
- BetterHelp Shared Users’ Sensitive Health Data, FTC Says
- EPA Mandates States Report on Cyber Threats to Water Systems
- Why TikTok Is Being Banned on Gov’t Phones in US and Beyond
Latest News
- BreachForums Shut Down Over Law Enforcement Takeover Concerns
- CISA Expands Cybersecurity Committee, Updates Baseline Security Goals
- Malware Trends: What’s Old Is Still New
- Burnout in Cybersecurity – Can It Be Prevented?
- Spain Needs More Transparency Over Pegasus: EU Lawmakers
- Ransomware Will Likely Target OT Systems in EU Transport Sector: ENISA
- Virtual Event Today: Supply Chain & Third-Party Risk Summit
- Google Suspends Chinese Shopping App Amid Security Concerns
