New York man accused of scamming Massachusetts resident out of $100,000, here is how you can protect yourself

BARNSTABLE — On July 15, Barnstable Police Department Investigative Services Division and the U.S. Secret Service New England Cyber Fraud Task Force arrested a 25-year-old Albany, N.Y. man on charges he scammed an Osterville resident out of $100,000.

Barnstable Police launched an extensive investigation in November 2023 after becoming aware of a “business email compromise” that targeted a company with which an Osterville resident was conducting business. The victim was instructed by the email to redirect a payment of $100,000 to an unauthorized account. The company contacted the victim, notifying him of fraud.

A Barnstable Police Detective assigned to the USSS as a Task Force Officer traced the transaction to a New York bank. Throughout his investigation, the detective was able to determine that Khaseem Allah had involvement with the scam. 

After confirming Allah’s involvement, he was indicted by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office and an arrest warrant was issued. Allah is charged with Larceny Over $1,200.

He was taken into custody in Troy, N.Y. with the assistance from the Massachusetts State Police VFAS Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Allah waived extradition and was transported to the Barnstable Police Department by Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit-Cape & Islands.

He was arraigned in Barnstable District court on Thursday, Aug. 1. He was held on $50,000 bail and GPS monitoring was ordered if bail is posted.

The Barnstable Police Department would like to thank the Secret Service, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.

The Barnstable Police Department would like to share the following safety tips from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), which is part of CISA, to help residents avoid falling victim to email phishing scams: 

• If you are asked to change deposit or payment information, confirm with the company via telephone.
• Never respond to suspicious emails.
• Don’t open emails from people you don’t know or don’t expect an email from. Pay close attention to the subject line, email address and grammar as these are often preliminary ways to tell that an email is a scam.
• If an email, email attachment or link seems suspicious, do not open it, even if antivirus software indicates that it is safe.
• Install spam filters.
• Install antivirus software and a personal firewall and keep it up to date.

To help people protect themselves from similar scams, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers several tips, including:

• Do not answer texts or calls from unknown numbers.
• Do not share personal, identifying information like Social Security numbers, account numbers, or mother’s maiden names.
• Be wary of anyone who talks quickly and pressures you to make a decision quickly.
• Do not send cash by messenger, overnight mail, or money transfer. If you pay for a product or service with cash or a money transfer, you run a risk of losing the right to dispute fraudulent charges.