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On Aug. 29, the victim in this investigation received a call from a subject claiming to be from Amazon Customer Service, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland, This individual claimed that they were calling because of an issue with a purchase and the victim’s identity was stolen.
The victim was subsequently transferred to another individual claiming to be from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The victim was then told that there were multiple bank accounts opened in the victim’s name and the accounts were related to narcotics distribution and money laundering and there was an arrest warrant issued for the victim.
To take care of this warrant, the victim was instructed to take a sum of money from their bank account, and it would be held by the U.S. Treasury. Subsequently, the victim met with the individuals and gave them the sum of money, Sutherland said.
The victim was again contacted by the suspect who pressured the victim to remove additional money from his/her bank account. The victim was then instructed to purchase an amount of gold bars from a local jeweler and/or an online website. The victim purchased the gold bars, at which time law enforcement intervened, Sutherland said.
On Thursday, Sept. 7, members of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Lower Township Police Department, Cape May County Sheriff’s Office, and Cape May County Regional SWAT arrested two individuals who attempted to retrieve the gold bars from the victim, Sutherland said.
The suspects were identified as: Syed Sofianuddin, 26, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Mohammad Khaja Faraz Uddin, 27, with no known address, Sutherland said.
Syed Sofianuddin was charged with Theft by Deception (2nd degree), Attempt to Commit Theft by Deception (2nd degree), Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception (2nd degree), and Eluding (3rd degree).
Mohammed Khaja Faraz Uddin was charged with Theft by Deception (2nd degree), Attempt to Commit theft by Deception (2nd degree), and Conspiracy to Commit Theft (2nd degree).
Both subjects were lodged at the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending Court proceedings.
Sutherland said this is an ongoing investigation and additional arrest warrants may be issued. Sutherland urges anyone with information regarding this theft by deception investigation or any similar “phone scams” to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135.
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