A California man is accused of masterminding a large-scale phishing scheme that defrauded a small Rhode Island town of about $9 million.#California #News #RiversideCountyCA #Crime
CAA’s Riverside County In relation to a phishing campaign that deceived several victims, including the Town of Bristol, Rhode Island, out of around $9 million, a 60-year-old man from Riverside County, California, has been prosecuted. Alec Tahir Baker, a Corona, California resident, is charged with a number of major offenses, including identity theft, bank fraud, and money laundering.
Phishing and Money Laundering Scheme
A large-scale phishing effort was purportedly planned by Baker and his accomplices. Malicious emails were sent to people, companies, and municipal workers as part of the plan. The criminals were able to enter the victims’ computer networks through these phishing emails, which paved the way for additional fraudulent activity.
After entering the networks, Baker and his colleagues gave victims’ banks instructions to move money into accounts under their control. According to reports, Baker opened more than 40 bank accounts in order to help the plot.
Additionally, the attackers used email to pose as vendors in order to fool corporate employees into paying money into the conspirators’ accounts without authorization. Both governmental and commercial organizations suffered significant financial losses as a result of this theft.
The Financial Impact
According to the indictment, Baker and his partners cheated people and companies out of a minimum of $8.85 million. Approximately $7.65 million of this sum was purportedly transferred into bank accounts that Baker controlled. One of the main victims of this plot was the Town of Bristol in Rhode Island.
After gaining access to the town’s computer network on January 18, 2023, one of the conspirators directed a $310,500 bank transfer from a town account to a business account under Baker’s control the next day.
Baker is charged with taking money out of the town’s account and moving it into his own accounts, where it was then deposited and concealed through more fraudulent activities.
Legal Actions and Arrest
Baker was arrested in Dallas, Texas, on November 5, 2024, after being charged on November 1. He is accused of two counts of aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Baker is currently awaiting arraignment in Rhode Island after the indictment was verified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island on Thursday. He has not yet been given an arraignment date.
The investigation is still ongoing, and as the legal process develops, more information should become available.
Associated Subjects: Crime, California, and Rhode Island
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