Gwinnett woman used fake computer virus alerts to fuel $1 million scheme

A Buford woman has been found guilty of helping orchestrate a scam that cheated seniors and other victims across the country out of money by promising computer virus protection.

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Fataoumata Keita, 48, was convicted by a jury of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. She is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Prosecutors said Keita and her co-conspirators began targeting people in the United States and Canada in 2021, tricking them into believing their computers had viruses or other problems that required immediate attention.

Victims would see a pop-up message on their computers warning of a virus and instructing them to call a 1-800 number. Those who called were directed by people posing as customer service representatives to buy unnecessary software or technical support.

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After convincing victims to pay for the bogus services, the conspirators instructed them to mail checks to a U.S. Postal Service post office box in Buford. Many of the checks exceeded $1,500, according to prosecutors.

Keita then directed some of the money to co-conspirators in Canada, China and India.

The scheme generated as much as $1 million and affected dozens of victims before it was shut down, jurors learned during the trial.

Jurors also saw evidence of bank accounts controlled by Keita that had accumulated more than $450,000 in just over a year at one point.

“Taking advantage of citizens using fake computer services is unconscionable and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “But preying on senior citizens and targeting seniors will not be tolerated.”

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