Bikramjit Ahluwalia, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates residing in Dubai, has been extradited from Spain to face charges in Charlotte, North Carolina. Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron announced that Ahluwalia will appear in federal court today. Known by several aliases including “Biku” and “Internetteam5000,” he faces charges related to an alleged "tech support fraud scheme."
The indictment accuses Ahluwalia and his co-defendant Andrew Brolese of owning Digital Marketing Support Services (DMSS), a company based in Seychelles. The firm is said to have used malicious pop-ups on computers to drive customer traffic for overseas call centers under false pretenses. From April 2016 to March 2021, the scheme allegedly targeted victims across the United States, particularly those aged 55 and older.
The indictment describes how victims were deceived into believing their computers were compromised by viruses or other issues through fake error messages and pop-ups. These messages prompted users to call for technical assistance, leading them to pay large sums for unnecessary services.
It is further alleged that Ahluwalia and Brolese sold victim calls seeking tech support globally, generating over $31.2 million through wire transfers into DMSS’s foreign bank accounts.
Ahluwalia's initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler is scheduled for this morning at 10:15 a.m.
If convicted, Ahluwalia could face severe penalties: up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering conspiracy, and five years for conspiracy to damage a protected computer.
Authorities emphasize that these charges are allegations and Ahluwalia is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted by the Nashville Cyber Task Force with contributions from the Knoxville FBI Office and Knoxville Police Department. The Spanish government played a crucial role in arresting and extraditing Ahluwalia, with additional support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren is handling the prosecution in Charlotte.
