ED Searches Call Centres Over Scam Targeting US Nationals
Officials of the ED’s Hyderabad zonal office seized more than 67 mobile phones, hard disks, over a dozen laptops and other electronic devices allegedly used in the offence during the searches
Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials from Hyderabad searched four premises in Chandigarh, Patiala and Pune in connection with an alleged fake call centre scam targeting US nationals, ED sources said.
Officials of the ED’s Hyderabad zonal office seized more than 67 mobile phones, hard disks, over a dozen laptops and other electronic devices allegedly used in the offence during the searches.
The searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED officials, assisted by local police, found more than 210 employees working at different call centres allegedly involved in contacting US nationals and inducing them to make payments on false pretexts, sources said.
Electronic devices seized from a call centre in Patiala contained data related to the syndicate’s alleged modus operandi, including names, phone numbers and other details of victims.
Officials also identified key persons allegedly involved in hiring telecallers. Their bank statements and chat histories indicated receipt of US dollars and their conversion into Indian rupees, sources said.
The ED is examining calling campaigns, scripts, diallers, VoIP-based systems, victim data, payment channels and the flow of funds to identify those managing the alleged operations.
