Authorities Sentenced Leader of Tech Support Fraud Scheme to Seven Years in Prison

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Vinoth Ponmaran has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a widespread tech support fraud scheme.

The conspiracy, which targeted elderly victims by remotely accessing their computers and convincing them to pay for unnecessary and non-existent computer support services, generated over $6 million from approximately 6,500 victims.

Elaborate Fraud Scheme Uncovered

From March 2015 through July 2018, Ponmaran was a vital member of a criminal fraud ring in the U.S. and India. The scheme primarily targeted elderly victims across the U.S. and Canada, including the Southern District of New York.

According to Justice government reports, The fraud ring employed deceptive tactics, such as causing pop-up windows on victims’ computers, falsely claiming that their systems were infected with malware.

These pop-ups directed victims to call a specific phone number for technical support, which was part of the fraudulent operation.

The pop-ups often threatened severe consequences, such as complete data loss, if victims restarted or shut down their computers.

Some pop-ups even included unauthorized use of corporate logos from well-known technology companies to lend an air of legitimacy. Believing their computers were at risk, victims paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for phony repair services.

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In reality, the supposed technicians ran free anti-virus tools online. At the same time, the pop-ups themselves caused the computers to freeze, further convincing victims to seek help.

Ponmaran’s Role and Consequences

Vinoth Ponmaran, an India-based leader of the fraud ring, managed a call center that provided fraudulent computer repair services in India.

He also recruited co-conspirators in the U.S. to register fake corporate entities and open bank accounts to receive the proceeds of fraud.

Additionally, Ponmaran laundered the criminal proceeds by directing co-conspirators to wire money to accounts in India, and the U.S.Ponmaran’s sentence includes three years of supervised release and the forfeiture of $6,110,884.51.

His co-defendants, Romana Leyva and Ariful Haque, were sentenced in 2022. Leyva received 100 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit $4,679,586.93 and pay restitution of $2,707,882.91.

Haque was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, with a forfeiture of $38,886.32 and restitution of $470,672.16.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized the severity of Ponmaran’s actions, stating, “Vinoth Ponmaran was a leader of a sophisticated fraud scheme that preyed on over 6,000 victims, including the elderly. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit the vulnerable for financial gain will pay a heavy price.”

The Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff leading the prosecution.

The New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force and the New York City Police Department were instrumental in the investigation, showcasing the collaborative effort to bring justice to the victims of this extensive fraud scheme.

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