The FBI Baltimore Field Office, in partnership with Montgomery County and international law‑enforcement partners, announced arrests and dismantling of call‑center operations tied to government‑impersonation and tech‑support scams. Investigators estimate roughly $48.8 million in U.S. losses and urged victims to report to IC3 while providing guidance to avoid similar frauds.

The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office announced an international enforcement action that targeted call‑center networks responsible for government‑impersonation and tech‑support frauds that victimized U.S. residents, estimating approximately $48.8 million in losses tied to the operation. The takedown involved coordinated arrests, seizures and investigative steps with Montgomery County law enforcement and overseas partners who traced the schemes to large foreign call‑centers employing scripted social‑engineering, spoofed caller IDs and remote‑access tools to extort payments and harvest financial credentials. The FBI release emphasized victim‑warning guidance—do not provide remote access, never pay by gift card or cryptocurrency for official fines, and verify unsolicited government contacts—and encouraged reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to support prosecutions and recovery efforts. Officials said the operation disrupted networks that cycled funds through mule accounts and informal channels, and that continued international cooperation with financial institutions and foreign authorities will be necessary to trace and freeze proceeds. The announcement highlights sustained federal efforts to combat large, transnational fraud enterprises that exploit trust in government and technology to reap multi‑million‑dollar gains from American victims.