Prosecutor: 2 Charged in NJ For Amazon Phone Scam

Two people have been charged by authorities in Cape May County for their alleged roles in an Amazon phone scam.

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The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office says an investigation began on August 29th when the victim in this case received a call from a person claiming to be from Amazon Customer Service.

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, prosecutors say the victim was instructed to take 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 cash.

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.

Last Thursday, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, Lower Township Police Department, and the Cape May County Sheriff's Office arrested 26-year-old Syed Sofianuddin of Lilburn, GA, and 27-year-old Mohammad Khaja Faraz Uddin, who has no known address, when they attempted to retrieve the gold bars from the victim.

The pair is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings.

Were you a victim?

Authorities say this is an ongoing investigation and additional arrest warrants may be issued. Anyone with information regarding this case or other phone scams is asked to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at (609) 465-1135.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.