Help CATCH
Alleged Broadband Con Man

Impostors, swindlers and frauds damage the image of every Internet service provider. Help San Diego County's high-tech task force track down its prime suspect alleged to be the man behind one of the worst DSL scams ever.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Associate Editor [June 14, 2002]

The Computer and Technology Crime High-Tech Task Force (CATCH) for southern California has released new photos of the prime suspect in its DSL Monster scam (below).

Setup in December 2001 under the business name of Monster DSL, the bogus broadband service provider promised residential users high-speed access for just $129 for life—as long as customers agreed to receive two unsolicited e-mails each day.

But the DSL Monster operation was a house of cards fraudulently set up with money from bad checks under the direction of a man known as Corey J. Dyer.

Dyer signed a lease, purchased radio advertisements, bought and sold computer equipment, and even paid employees with checks that eventually bounced. According to CATCH, Dyer left town before swindled customers saw through the scam and unsuspecting employees were left holding the bag.

CATCH estimates damages from the DSL Monster scam to be around $160,000 reflecting more than 230 swindled subscribers, as well as two radio stations, a hosting company, a computer sales company, two business parks, a landlord, and as many as a dozen former employees.

CATCH says that through fingerprints, they have identified him as a perpetrator of various crimes under numerous aliases. Dyer's real name is Ronald J. Travis. His aliases, besides Corey J. Dyer, include Ronald J. Davis and Michael Hower (below).

The high-tech task force is currently comprised of 11 investigators from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the San Diego Sheriffs Department, San Diego Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Diego County District Attorneys Office, among others.

According to Detective Skip Stephenson, SDSD, Dyer has a criminal history in Maine, Maryland, New York, and Virginia, with warrants for his arrest outstanding in Maine and Maryland. As a member of CATCH, Det. Stephenson says its likely that Dyer has added a new alias to his list known names.

"Who knows what name he is using now," says Det. Stephenson. "Spread the word and let's catch him."

Anyone who was a victim of the DSL Monster scam should file a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, a division of the FBI.

CATCH asks that anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Detective Skip Stephenson at (619) 531-3660.

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