ED Arrests Fake Call Centre Operator for Defrauding US Citizens

Hyderabad:The Enforcement Directorate arrested Vikas Kumar Nimar alias Misty, who allegedly operated fake call centres from Hyderabad and other cities to defraud American citizens by posing as government and private company officials, ED officials said.

The agency took Nimar into custody after conducting searches at more than 15 locations in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. He was later taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical examination.

The money-laundering case was registered against Nimar and his associates in 2023 based on a Madhapur police case linked to the fake call centre network. The CBI had also registered a case against him based on information shared by the US Embassy through Interpol.

Nimar allegedly operated call centres in Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and other places. His associates contacted American citizens on the pretext of offering technical support.

The callers allegedly posed as officials of government organisations and prominent private companies and threatened victims over purported computer viruses, bank account problems and security alerts. The victims were made to transfer money through gift cards and digital payments.

The proceeds were allegedly converted into cryptocurrency to conceal the transactions. The crypto assets were later converted into Indian currency through exchanges, cash settlement networks resembling hawala operations and banking channels.

The ED found large cash deposits and suspicious credits in bank accounts linked to VC Solutions, a company allegedly used to project the proceeds of fraud as legitimate income. Nimar allegedly admitted that the money came from the call centre operations but declared it in his income-tax returns as income from grocery and other businesses.

The agency is examining the role of other accused, the movement of funds and the cryptocurrency transactions.