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 the United States. Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron announced that Ahluwalia is set to appear in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. He faces allegations related to an international "tech support fraud scheme."
Ahluwalia, also known by several aliases including "Biku" and "Internetteam5000," is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and wire fraud. The indictment accuses him of operating Digital Marketing Support Services (DMSS), a Seychelles-based company involved in publishing malicious pop-ups that led victims to seek unnecessary technical support.
From April 2016 to March 2021, Ahluwalia and co-defendant Andrew Brolese allegedly targeted victims across the United States through deceptive computer pop-ups. These pop-ups prompted users to call overseas call centers where they were misled into paying for unneeded services.
The indictment claims that Ahluwalia and Brolese conspired with others globally, receiving over $31.2 million through wire transfers made to DMSS's bank accounts overseas.
Ahluwalia will have his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler at 10:15 a.m. The charges he faces carry significant penalties: up to 30 years for wire fraud-related offenses, 20 years for money laundering, and five years for conspiracy to damage a protected computer.
The investigation was conducted by the Nashville Cyber Task Force, involving both the FBI's Knoxville Office and the Knoxville Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in securing Ahluwalia's extradition from Spain.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren is prosecuting the case.