New Jersey: Two Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in New Jersey after allegedly posing as bank security officials to scam a woman out of $25,000 and attempting to collect an additional $30,000, according to police. The suspects, identified as Mohammad N. Islam, 48, of Egg Harbor, and Mohammad Z. Islam, 58, of Westville, were arrested Friday by the Riverside Township Police Department. Authorities said N. Islam is originally from Narail, Bangladesh, while Z. Islam is from Mirsharai in Chattogram.
According to a spokesperson for the Riverside Township Police Department, both men have been charged in connection with fraud and deception offenses.
Police said the investigation began after a local woman reported that she had been targeted by a sophisticated scam. According to her complaint, fraudsters falsely claimed that her computer had been infected with a virus that was compromising the security of her Wells Fargo bank account. They also warned that the FBI was investigating the matter and threatened that she could face serious legal consequences if she failed to cooperate.
The woman was then instructed to call a phone number provided by the scammers. During the call, she was told that paying $25,000 in cash would resolve the issue. She was further instructed to withdraw the money, place it in a Wells Fargo envelope, and hand it over to a person posing as a bank security employee, who would collect the cash from her residence.
Believing the claims to be legitimate, the woman withdrew the money from her bank and handed over $25,000 to an individual who arrived at her home.
Shortly afterward, the scammers contacted her again and demanded an additional $30,000. At that point, the woman became suspicious and contacted police.
Following police instructions, she agreed to have the suspects return to her home to collect the second payment. Officers, who had been waiting inside the residence, arrested the two men when they arrived.
Investigators said the suspects later appeared in court and were released pending further court proceedings.
Riverside Township Police are urging residents to remain vigilant against similar scams and to contact law enforcement immediately if they receive suspicious calls demanding money or claiming to represent banks, government agencies, or law enforcement.
The case follows another fraud-related arrest involving a Bangladeshi national earlier this year. In February, police arrested Niamat Ullah, 31, a resident of Buffalo, New York, in connection with a spam-call scam. Authorities said he allegedly impersonated a member of the Norton Antivirus support team and threatened a victim into paying a large sum of money. Police recovered gold coins and more than $100,000 in cash from his vehicle. He faces multiple felony charges and was lodged at Tygart Valley Regional Jail, according to law enforcement.
