A California man has been indicted for his alleged role in business email compromise and money laundering schemes that defrauded businesses, individuals, and the Town of Bristol, out of nearly $9 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island announced today.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Alec Tahir Baker, 60, of Corona, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that Baker and his co-conspirators sent phishing emails to individuals, corporations, and the Town of Bristol.
Once recipients opened the emails, the co-conspirators allegedly gained access to computer networks and redirected funds to accounts controlled by Baker or others, the department stated.
According to the indictment, Baker and others posed as vendors and provided fraudulent bank account information to employees, causing victims to unknowingly transfer funds into accounts controlled by the conspirators.
Baker allegedly provided false documents and information to banks to conceal the origin of the funds and claimed to have business relationships with the victim companies.