A 16-year-old intern helped Netgear catch scammers in India for $800 — Culprits would pose as Netgear employees & sell fake support packages to customers

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Image credit: Tom’s Hardware

The Scam Problem

Netgear makes some of the best routers on the market, but last summer its attorneys needed extra help protecting customers. Scammers posing as Netgear employees were selling fake extended‑support packages, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each time legal experts got close, the scammers deleted their fake websites and moved on, prompting a flood of customer complaints.

Wyatt’s Involvement

Netgear brought in Wyatt, a 16‑year‑old intern who joined the company in the summer of 2025. According to Morgan Nickerson of K&L Gates LLP, “What I needed here was someone that was a digital native, who could compete with the scammers on that, just digital fluency.”

Wyatt visited the phishing sites and pretended to be an unsuspecting customer, luring scammers into interacting with him. At first the con artists saw through the ruse because Wyatt lacked details like router serial numbers, but he persisted, eventually gathering enough evidence. The fake invoices for the bogus support packages began arriving, providing account numbers and email addresses that could be traced.

Legal Action and Outcome

Armed with the receipts, Netgear’s attorneys filed a federal lawsuit and subpoenaed the fraudulent websites, forcing them to disclose bank details. The investigation traced some of the funds back to India. Netgear won the case in December 2025 and was awarded over $860,000 against several companies used by the scammers to funnel money. The strategy focused on seizing the scammers’ profits rather than pursuing them directly in court.

Wyatt, who was paid minimum wage, said, “I think I made around $800 from the whole internship, which I was extremely grateful for.” His experience highlights a broader issue: the FBI reported over $16 billion in internet‑theft losses last year. By taking an out‑of‑the‑box approach, Netgear helped its customers and gave Wyatt an unforgettable summer.