New York: US authorities have dismantled an India-based call centre fraud network accused of cheating hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars through fake tech-support schemes, following a years-long investigation that led to multiple convictions.In a post on social media platform X, the FBI’s Boston division said the probe resulted in the conviction of five India-based “telemarketing fraudsters” as well as a former employee of the call-routing company allegedly used in the operation.The FBI said the scam specifically targeted elderly victims in the United States and abroad, while senior executives linked to the telecom services company knowingly enabled the fraud.“This comes after an FBI Boston investigation that has resulted in the arrests
& convictions of a former employee of their call routing company, and five India-based telemarketing fraudsters,” the agency said.“American senior citizens deserve honour, respect, and protection, and those targeting them with fraudulent schemes will be brought to justice,” it added.
US Executives Plead Guilty
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, Adam Young, 42, and Harrison Gevirtz, 33, admitted to operating a telecommunications services business that allegedly supported customers engaged in tech-support scams.Authorities said the company provided services including telephone numbers, call routing, call forwarding, and call tracking to fraud operators despite being aware of their activities.Young and Gevirtz pleaded guilty after an investigation launched in 2020 uncovered a wider international fraud network.
Five India-Based Fraudsters Convicted
The investigation led to the conviction of Indian nationals Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum, and Manish Kumar on charges related to India-based telemarketing fraud schemes targeting vulnerable Americans, particularly senior citizens.Authorities also secured the conviction of Jagmeet Singh Virk in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
How The Scam Worked
According to court documents, between 2016 and 2022, the accused allegedly operated deceptive “tech support” scams using fake pop-up alerts warning computer users that their systems were infected with malware or viruses.Victims were prompted to call helpline numbers that connected them to call centres, where agents allegedly convinced them to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary or fake technical-support services.In several cases, scammers remotely accessed victims’ computers and obtained sensitive personal and financial information, investigators said.US authorities alleged that despite receiving complaints from telecom providers and law enforcement agencies, Young and Gevirtz failed to report the fraud and instead advised customers on ways to reduce complaints and avoid account suspensions.Investigators also accused them of helping customers buy and sell fraudulent calls among themselves.“What the CEO and CSO of this well-known call tracking and analytics company did was downright despicable,” Ted E Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said.“By their own admission, they willfully profited from telemarketing and tech support scammers, here and abroad, who preyed on the elderly, exploited the vulnerable, and drained victims of their life savings and peace of mind,” he added.US authorities said Americans lost nearly USD 2.1 billion to tech-support scams last year alone, while Rhode Island residents reported losses of at least USD 5.7 million.
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