US call centre scam: Hyderabad ED raids across 3 cities

The ED said the call centres were allegedly making calls to US nationals and inducing them to make payments on false pretexts.

Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, conducted searches at four premises in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh in connection with an alleged fake call centre scam targeting US nationals, where it seized 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, communication equipment, cash and records.

The searches were conducted on Tuesday, September 15, under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. According to the ED, three live call centres — two in Patiala and one in Pune — were detected during the operation, with around 220 people found working at the premises.

The agency said the call centres were allegedly making calls to US nationals and inducing them to make payments on false pretexts. At the Patiala centres, mobile phones and a laptop allegedly contained details of the syndicate’s modus operandi and distribution of proceeds generated from victims.

One tap — then press “Add” on Google

A similar modus operandi was found at the Pune centre, the ED said.

Masterminded in Chandigarh

The residential premises searched in Chandigarh were allegedly being used by the mastermind to coordinate and control the Patiala operations. Digital devices containing data related to the functioning of the call centres were recovered, while the role of a person allegedly involved in converting proceeds received in USD into Indian Rupees is also being examined.

The ED said the investigation is examining calling campaigns, scripts, diallers and VoIP-based systems, victim data, payment channels and the flow of funds to identify those managing the operations and trace the alleged proceeds of crime.

Further investigation is underway, the agency said.