Tech Support Scam Ring: 6,500 Victims and a 7-Year Term

A pop-up said the computer was infected and gave a phone number. About 6,500 people called. This New York case shows what happened next.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026

Some scams find you through a phone call. This one found people through their own screens. A pop-up appeared, said the computer was infected and told the user to call for help. A July 2024 sentencing in New York gives the full picture.

What happened

On July 31, 2024 the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that Vinoth Ponmaran, 36, an Indian citizen, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty. He also received three years of supervised release and forfeiture of $6,110,884.51. The Justice Department says he led a call center in India that was part of a fraud ring based in the US and India from about March 2015 through July 2018.

The ring generated more than $6 million from at least about 6,500 victims, the release says. The quoted statement from the US Attorney refers to "over 6,000 victims." The victims were elderly people across the US and Canada.

How the pop-ups worked

The pop-up windows claimed a virus had infected the victim's computer and told them to call a number for "technical support." Some warned that restarting or shutting down could cause serious damage, including complete data loss. Some used a well-known technology company's logo without permission, although the phone numbers were not connected to that company. Some pop-ups froze the computer, which pushed people to call.

When victims called, the fake technicians took remote access and ran a free anti-virus tool that anyone can download. Victims paid several hundred or thousand dollars, depending on the supposed service.

The money side

According to the release, the leader recruited US co-conspirators to register fraudulent corporate entities and open bank accounts to receive victim payments. He laundered proceeds by directing co-conspirators to wire funds to accounts in India and the US. Two US co-defendants were sentenced in 2022: one to 100 months and the other to one year and one day.

What was exposed

Victims exposed money and access. Remote access to a computer can reveal saved passwords, documents and logged-in accounts. The release does not say anything was taken from the machines, so we do not claim it. The harm it describes is payment for fake services.

How it ended

The sentence and forfeiture are a clear result for the case, and they show cooperation between agencies. The release does not describe repayment to victims, so we cannot say how many got money back.

A timeline of the case

The ring ran from about March 2015 through July 2018. Two US co-defendants were sentenced in 2022, and the leader of the call center was sentenced on July 31, 2024, roughly six years after the scheme ended.

The slow pace is typical of cross-border fraud. The victims, elderly people in the US and Canada, paid within weeks, while the court process took years. Prevention at the moment of the pop-up is the only protection that works on the victim's timescale.

Key facts at a glance

• Sentence: seven years plus three years of supervised release
• Forfeiture: $6,110,884.51
• Period: about March 2015 to July 2018
• Victims: at least about 6,500, in the US and Canada
• Method: fake virus pop-ups, remote access, payment for a free anti-virus tool
• Investigators: Homeland Security Investigations with NYPD assistance

How to handle a scary pop-up

What the release does not say

The release does not give an average loss per victim or confirm how many victims were repaid. Compare this ring with the case in our report on FTC tech-support scam refunds, where checks were mailed to victims.

Related reading that helps with cases like this: how to prevent identity theft, how scammers find your phone number and email and what to do if your identity is stolen. You can also try our free phone number exposure check.