A 25-year-old man from New York, Khaseem Allah, was arrested by the Barnstable Police Department last month for his involvement in a scam that defrauded a Massachusetts man of $100,000 through a fake email. The Osterville man fell victim to a “business email compromise” where he was directed to redirect a payment to an unauthorized account. After the company notified him of the fraud, an investigation led detectives to Allah, who was indicted and arrested in Troy, New York.
Allah was charged with larceny over $1,200 and held on $50,000 bail with an order to wear GPS monitoring if bail was posted. The Barnstable Police Department shared safety tips from the US-CERT to help avoid falling victim to email phishing scams, such as confirming changes to payment information through telephone and not opening emails from unfamiliar sources.
To protect against similar scams, the FTC advises against responding to texts or calls from unknown numbers, sharing personal information, and sending cash by messenger or money transfer to avoid disputes over fraudulent charges. This case serves as a reminder for individuals to be cautious and proactive in safeguarding themselves against online scams.
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