FBI, Montgomery County link $48.78M to India call-centre frauds
Federal and local investigators announced a multi‑year probe tying government‑impersonation and tech‑support scams to three India call‑centres that stole roughly $48.78 million from about 660 U.S. victims, including roughly 24 in Maryland. India’s Central Bureau of Investigation dismantled the overseas operations in December 2025 and arrested six alleged leaders, while U.S. authorities continue domestic prosecutions and warned seniors about spoofed calls, pop‑ups and cryptocurrency demands.
Federal and local law‑enforcement agencies disclosed the results of a multi‑year joint inquiry that traced sophisticated government‑impersonation and tech‑support frauds to three call‑centre operations in India, reporting roughly $48.78 million in losses tied to the scheme. Investigators identified about 660 U.S. victims overall, including approximately two dozen in Maryland; the scams used spoofed federal or state agency numbers, fake tech‑support popups and live‑video pressure tactics to extract payments — increasingly via cryptocurrency and mule bank accounts. India’s Central Bureau of Investigation executed a December 2025 operation that dismantled the overseas infrastructure and detained six alleged ringleaders. U.S. authorities say prosecutions remain ongoing for domestic couriers, mule‑account operators and accomplices who moved funds and goods, and they emphasized outreach to senior citizens about common vectors. The FBI’s Baltimore field office urged vigilance against unsolicited calls demanding immediate payments, warned that pop‑up tech alerts can be fraudulent, and reiterated guidance on reporting suspected scams to help trace and recover stolen assets.
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