In Newark, New Jersey, a Clifton resident, Manoj Yadav, aged 40, found himself in custody today for his involvement in a technical support scam that ruthlessly preyed on over 7,000 victims across the United States. The victims were primarily small business owners and elderly individuals, and this nefarious operation led to the fraudulent extraction of more than $13 million from these unsuspecting individuals. The announcement of this arrest was made by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Yadav faces a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud as per the complaint filed against him. He is slated to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte at the federal court in Newark.
The modus operandi employed by Yadav and his co-conspirators involved deceiving their multitude of victims by presenting themselves as a legitimate technology support company with affiliations to a major software corporation. They specialized in targeting users of a popular accounting software developed and sold by the aforementioned software company. Under various deceptive business names such as "Phebs Software Services, LLC," "Phebs Software Services," "PN Bookkeeping Services," "Phebbs Consulting," "Quickbooks Tech Assist," "Quickbook US," "Quickbooks Accounting," and "Quickbooks Support Team," they operated with cunning precision.
Their approach involved initiating contact with victims under the pretense of resolving technical issues related to the accounting software. Following their purported technical support services, victims would find themselves burdened with exorbitant charges and additional subscription fees. It is important to note that these services were entirely fraudulent, and customers who directly contacted the legitimate software company would not have incurred any additional costs. Furthermore, the software company had never granted Yadav or his associates the authority to act on its behalf or levy any fees.
Yadav played a pivotal role in executing this fraudulent scheme. He orchestrated the fraudulent technology support services and orchestrated the funneling of millions of dollars from the victims to his co-conspirators. To facilitate this illicit endeavor, Yadav established Phebs Software Services, LLC, a business entity that conducted operations under the aliases "Phebs Software Services" and "Quickbooks Accounting." These deceptive identities were employed not only to mislead banks and victim customers but also to deter chargebacks, Better Business Bureau complaints, and bank account closures. Yadav, during fund transfers to his co-conspirators, retained approximately 17 percent of the ill-gotten gains, which amounted to over $13 million in funds fraudulently procured from the victims.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or twice the gross profit or loss stemming from the offense, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger acknowledged the diligent efforts of the FBI's special agents, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, in conducting the investigation that culminated in the charges being brought today.
It is important to emphasize that the allegations contained in the complaint and the charge are mere accusations, and Manoj Yadav is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
