Husneara Choudhury | New York
Two Bangladeshi men have been charged in connection with an alleged $25,000 fraud scheme in which a New Jersey woman was deceived into handing over cash after scammers posed as bank security officials, according to Riverside Township Police.
The suspects, identified as MD N. Islam, 48, and Mohammad Z. Islam, 58, were charged with third-degree theft by deception following a police sting operation. Both were later released pending their scheduled court appearances.
According to investigators, the scam began when the victim’s computer displayed a fraudulent pop-up warning claiming her device had been infected with a virus. The message instructed her to call a phone number for technical assistance.
When she called, the person on the other end allegedly identified himself as a member of Wells Fargo’s security department and warned that her compromised computer had placed the bank’s network at risk. The caller further claimed that the matter could escalate to the FBI unless immediate action was taken.
The victim was then instructed to withdraw $25,000 in cash from her bank account and leave the money outside her residence, where it would supposedly be collected by bank security personnel.
Believing the instructions to be legitimate, the woman withdrew the cash and placed it at the designated location. A short time later, an individual arrived and collected the money.
The alleged fraud, however, did not end there.
Police said the scammers later contacted the victim again, demanding an additional $30,000. This time, she became suspicious and reported the incident to the Riverside Township Police Department.
Working closely with the victim, detectives continued communicating with the suspects and arranged an undercover operation by pretending another cash payment would be made. When the suspects allegedly arrived to collect the money, officers arrested both men at the scene without incident.
Police identified MD N. Islam as a resident of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and Mohammad Z. Islam as a resident of Westville, New Jersey.
Several members of the Bangladeshi community told local media that Mohammad Z. Islam is originally from Mirsharai, Chattogram, while MD N. Islam is reportedly from Narail District in Bangladesh. However, those claims have not been confirmed by Riverside Township Police or any major U.S. news organization and could not be independently verified.
Authorities say similar scams have become increasingly common across the United States, with criminals impersonating bank employees, technical support agents, or government officials to pressure victims into handing over large sums of money.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that no legitimate bank or government agency will ever instruct customers to withdraw cash and leave it at a designated location for collection. Anyone receiving such a request is urged to contact the institution directly using its official phone number and immediately notify local police.
Riverside Township Police said the investigation remains ongoing and encouraged anyone with information related to the case—or who may have been targeted in a similar scheme—to contact the department’s Detective Bureau.
