Indian-American dentist pleads guilty to stealing USD 500,000
New York, Aug 29: A 46-year-old Indian-origin dentist in the US has pleaded guilty to stealing USD 500,000 in COVID-19 relief money for two years and using it for improper personal expenditures such as investments, an official statement said. Ranjan Rajbanshi, who ran a dental practice in California, received over USD 850,000 in COVID-19 relief money from April 2020 through February 2022 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for specified business purposes such as facility costs, payroll, and protective equipment for him and his staff. On Monday, Rajbanshi pleaded guilty to using USD 500,000 of the relief money for improper personal expenditures such as investments, the Department of Justice said in a press release. He agreed to pay that money back to the government before his sentencing. The case came to light after the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the SBA Office of Inspector General, and HHS Office of Inspector General conducted an investigation, the press release said. Rajbanshi faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and fine of USD 250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced by a US District Judge on December 4. Set up in 2021, the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors. It was set up to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programmes to prevent the same. (PTI)
UN warns against online scams in SE Asia
Geneva, Aug 29: The UN human rights office says criminal gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia into participating in unlawful online scam operations, including false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches, and illegal gambling schemes. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a new report, cites “credible sources” that at least 120,000 people in strife-torn Myanmar and roughly 100,000 in Cambodia “may be held in situations where they are forced to carry out online scams.” The report sheds new light on cybercrime scams that have become a major issue in Asia, with many of the workers trapped in virtual slavery and forced to participate in scams targeting people over the internet. Laos, the Philippines and Thailand were also cited among the main countries of destination or transit for tens of thousands of people. Criminal gangs have increasingly targeted migrants, and lure some victims by false recruitment – suggesting they are destined for real jobs. The rights office, citing the “enormity” of the scam operations, said the exact impact in terms of people and revenues generated is hard to estimate because of their secrecy and gaps in governmental response, but it’s believed to be in the billions of US dollars every year. Some victims have been subjected to torture, cruel punishments, sexual violence and arbitrary detention, among other crimes, it said. (AP)