India cracks down on fake call centers duping Americans
NEW DELHI, INDIA — India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently raided several fake call centers across the country that are duping American citizens through scams.
Searches at 24 locations in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat led to seizing ₹2.2 crore (US$263,917) in cash and evidence.
“A case was registered on July 7, 2022, on the allegations that multiple call centers in India utilized the services of Gujarat-based VOIP company and [targeted] U.S. nationals,” a CBI official said.
The masterminds behind these cases reportedly impersonated American agencies such as the U.S. Federal Grant Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Social Security Administration (SSA) through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.
The CBI official added that the callers used robo or audio calls to deceive victims into paying fees, fines, or penalties.
The recent operation is part of CBI’s ongoing crackdown on India-based transnational cyber fraud networks.
Tech giants Microsoft and Amazon are working with the CBI to combat tech support scams and conduct raids on illegal call centers.
Over the last six years, Indian police have busted over 255 fraudulent call centers in Noida and Greater Noida that were duping foreign nationals.
