A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged Kareem Mustafa Ahmad, 21, from Alexandria, Egypt, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris DiMenna announced the charges.
Mustafa allegedly operated as “Noir” on Telegram, leading a fraudulent operation titled “Noir’s Luxury Refunds.” The group was involved in refund fraud, where they manipulated the refund process in exchange for a fee. The operation, active from July 2020 to July 2022, targeted various retail sectors worldwide and had over 5,900 followers at its peak.
The investigation revealed that the group fraudulently obtained or attempted refunds for a large quantity of goods including electronics, clothing, and home furnishings. Techniques used included social engineering, manipulating shipping labels, recruiting insiders, and developing malware to bypass retailers' fraud prevention measures.
In related prosecutions, eight other defendants, including individuals known as "Dash," "Panda," and "Plutus," among others, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges linked to the organization. The maximum sentence for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud includes 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI led the investigation, with contributions from corporations such as Target Corporation, Amazon.com, and Google’s CyberCrime Investigation Group, along with international partners like the Sûreté Nationale of Morrocco.
This case forms part of the FBI's broader Operation Chargeback, targeting organized refund fraud operations both domestically and internationally, with additional cases filed in other jurisdictions.
For further information on cybercrime prevention, resources are available at www.ic3.gov. Prosecutors John M. Hundscheid and Edward J. Canter are handling the case.
An indictment includes only charges; therefore, a defendant is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
