A former mobile phone industry manager was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar consumer fraud scheme in New York.
Christopher Goff, a former account manager for Mobile Messenger, pleaded guilty in January 2018 to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest.
The auto-subscribing scheme involved placing unauthorized charges for premium text messaging services on consumers’ mobile phone bills without their knowledge or consent. The fraud resulted in the theft of over $50 million from consumers throughout the United States.
Goff received more than $350,000 in short-term gain for providing hundreds of thousands of mobile phone numbers to his co-conspirators. He used a shell company to hide his receipt of the money and his role in the scheme.
The scheme was carried out by mobile aggregators, such as Mobile Messenger, and content providers, which sent consumers unwanted text messages that ultimately resulted in them being billed for services they had not authorized.
Goff is the latest defendant to be sentenced in a series of cases related to the auto-subscribing scheme. The cases have resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars in restitution for victims.
Goff’s sentence is the latest development in the ongoing effort to hold accountable those responsible for the auto-subscribing scheme, which targeted unsuspecting consumers and resulted in significant financial losses.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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