Brother-in-law steals $794,000 from elderly victim after transferring phone number to override 2FA on mobile device: DOJ

Two men in California could face up to 30 years in prison for allegedly committing bank fraud and stealing the identification of elderly individuals.

According to federal prosecutors, Ayman Alaaraj and Ahmad Nassar employed sophisticated tactics to gain control of the bank accounts of two elderly victims, including transferring the victims' phone numbers to bypass two-factor authentication. Nassar, with Alaaraj's assistance, withdrew all the money from the accounts and created unpaid credit card debt, causing losses of over $794,000. They transferred money through accounts in the names of the victims and Alaaraj's businesses, then withdrew cash, made transfers via Zelle, Western Union, and used it for gambling and purchasing a Mercedes. If convicted, both face up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million for each charge.