Summary
Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged three former senior employees of Telekom Malaysia (USA) Inc. in connection with an alleged fraud scheme involving more than $20 million. According to investigators, the accused individuals used fake contracts, forged documents, sham companies, and identity theft to secretly divert Telekom funds over several years.
The accused employees were identified as Mohd Hafiz Lockman, Mohd Yuzaimi Yusof, and Khanh Thuong Nguyen. Authorities said the charges include wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The case became public after an indictment was unsealed in Manhattan federal court.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Telekom Malaysia discovered suspicious activity during an internal investigation and later reported the matter to federal authorities in early April 2026. Prosecutors stated that the Telekom has been cooperating with investigators since the self-report.
Alleged Fraud Involved Fake Deals and Secret Payments
Investigators claim the alleged fraud took place between July 2020 and February 2026 while the three defendants worked as senior managers at Telekom Malaysia’s U.S. subsidiary. The American subsidiary mainly sells access to broadband infrastructure for technology companies operating in the United States.
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One of the biggest allegations involves broadband capacity sales. Prosecutors say the defendants requested approval from Telekom Malaysia’s parent company for contracts involving larger amounts of broadband capacity than customers were actually purchasing. Authorities allege that the defendants then secretly sold the extra capacity to other companies and kept the profits for themselves.
Court documents state that the group prepared two different versions of contracts. One version was allegedly shown to Telekom, while another version reflected the real transaction with customers. Investigators also claim forged signatures and initials of customer representatives were added to documents to make the contracts appear legitimate.
Authorities further allege that the defendants created a sham company with a name similar to Telekom Malaysia’s U.S. subsidiary. Payments connected to unauthorized sales were reportedly sent into bank accounts controlled by the accused individuals through this fake entity.
Main Allegations in the Investigation
- Unauthorized broadband sales
- Forged customer signatures
- Fake supplier companies
- Salary diversion schemes
- Identity theft and impersonation
- Artificial intelligence used during impersonation
- False travel expense claims
Fake Supplier and Payment Diversion Allegations
Prosecutors also accused the defendants of impersonating suppliers in a separate fraud scheme. According to investigators, the accused individuals falsely inflated the cost of cable equipment purchased by the company. Authorities claim the actual cost was around $500,000, but the parent company was allegedly told the purchase cost was nearly $2.9 million.
The indictment states that the excess funds were transferred into accounts linked to another fake company secretly controlled by the defendants. Investigators say falsified supplier records and forged signatures were used to support the transactions.
Employee Impersonation and AI-Related Claims
Another part of the investigation focused on salary payments. Prosecutors allege that the defendants kept former employees listed as active workers in company records after they had already left the business. Authorities claim salary payments continued for years and were redirected into accounts controlled by the accused group.
Court filings also describe an unusual allegation involving artificial intelligence. When company officials requested an exit interview with a former employee, investigators say another person was recruited to impersonate that employee. Authorities further allege AI technology was used during a video call to make the impersonator resemble the real worker.
Prosecutors additionally accused the defendants of submitting false expense reimbursement requests connected to a Las Vegas work trip that allegedly never happened. According to court documents, photos were later taken near Christmas decorations in Las Vegas to make the trip appear legitimate.
Federal authorities said Mohd Hafiz Lockman was arrested at San Francisco International Airport in April 2026, while Mohd Yuzaimi Yusof and Khanh Thuong Nguyen later surrendered to authorities. Prosecutors noted that all charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.