A fraudster behind the Microsoft computer scam – in which people are duped into paying hundreds of pounds for fake services – has been convicted in court but has avoided jail after pleading guilty.
Narendra Harilal Vadgama, 56, from Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, took up to £499.99 from his victims, with some paying multiple times.
Cold callers from his company, Internet Security Direct, falsely claimed to be from Microsoft, telling people that their computer had been hacked or infected. The victims, many of them elderly, were then told to buy computer services they did not need.
Some victims who handed over remote access to their computer were also threatened that it would be shut down unless payment was made.
Vadgama was uncovered following a joint investigation by National Trading Standards, Microsoft, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and Leicestershire police.
He was sentenced to 12 months, but this was reduced because of his guilty plea to nine months, and suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from acting as company director for seven years and has an 8pm-8am curfew imposed on him for six months.
Sentencing Vadgama, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: “All those who use computers are concerned with internet safety. You saw a business opportunity. Some of the victims are people who are nervous and lack knowledge that you plainly obtained. They are vulnerable to be scammed like they were by people operating for you. You simply didn’t care what was happening.”
Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards said the conviction was a victory for collaboration between agencies to combat fraud. “I’m delighted with the successful work between our teams and partners, including Microsoft and other computer service providers, which sends a strong signal to criminals operating computer service fraud.
Microsoft said the case highlighted how the names of reputable companies are used to lull victims into a false sense of security.
Hugh Milward, head of corporate and legal affairs at Microsoft UK, said: “Our customers are often targeted by criminals who are always seeking new and increasingly sophisticated ways to deceive their victims and we work closely with law enforcement to tackle these scams and protect our customers.
“We’d like to reassure all users of our software that Microsoft will never cold call you out of the blue to offer tech support or send you unsolicited tech support pop ups.”
It is not the first conviction of someone operating the Microsoft virus scam. Three years ago Mohammed Khalid Jamil, 34, from Luton, was given a suspended sentence after he hired workers in an Indian call centre to phone people in the UK, pretending to be from Microsoft.
