United States authorities have dismantled an India-based call centre network accused of running large-scale tech-support scams that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.
The crackdown follows a years-long investigation that resulted in the conviction of five India-based telemarketing fraudsters, along with a former employee of a call-routing company allegedly tied to the operation.
According to PTI, the FBI’s Boston division announced via social media on Wednesday that the investigation also led to the arrest and conviction of a former employee of a call-routing firm used to facilitate scam-related communications.
The FBI said the fraudulent scheme specifically targeted elderly victims in the United States and other countries, causing losses amounting to millions of dollars. It further revealed that two senior executives connected to the enabling business had admitted they were aware of widespread fraudulent activity but continued their involvement.
“This comes after an FBI Boston investigation that has resulted in the arrests & convictions of a former employee of their call routing company, and five India-based telemarketing fraudsters,” the agency said.
“American senior citizens deserve honour, respect, and protection, and those targeting them with fraudulent schemes will be brought to justice,” it added.
PTI also reported that the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island identified the executives involved as Adam Young, 42, of Miami, and Harrison Gevirtz, 33, of Las Vegas. Both men admitted to running a telecommunications services business that provided phone numbers, call routing, tracking, and forwarding services to clients they knew were engaged in tech-support fraud.
Young and Gevirtz entered guilty pleas after an investigation launched in 2020 uncovered a wider network that led to the conviction of five India-based telemarketing fraudsters and a former employee linked to the call-routing operation.
The convicted Indian nationals were identified as Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum, and Manish Kumar, all found guilty of offences connected to India-based telemarketing schemes that primarily targeted vulnerable and elderly individuals in the US, according to PTI.
The investigation also resulted in the conviction of Jagmeet Singh Virk in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
Authorities said the India-based call centres used services provided by Young and Gevirtz’s company to route “tech fraud” calls. In some cases, they were allegedly advised on how to reduce consumer complaints and avoid account shutdowns.
US officials stated that tech-support scams cost Americans an estimated USD 2.1 billion last year, with residents of Rhode Island alone reporting losses of at least USD 5.7 million.
Court documents showed that between 2016 and 2022, Young, Gevirtz, and associates were aware that certain clients were running fraudulent tech-support operations. These schemes often relied on deceptive pop-up alerts falsely claiming that victims’ computers were infected with viruses or malware.
Victims were instructed to call phone numbers displayed in these alerts, which connected them to call centres where they were persuaded to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary or fake technical services.
In several instances, operators gained remote access to victims’ computers and accessed sensitive personal and financial information.
Court filings further alleged that despite repeated warnings and inquiries from telecom providers and law enforcement agencies, Young and Gevirtz failed to report the fraudulent activity. Instead, authorities said they advised clients on ways to evade complaints and prevent account closures, while also facilitating the buying and selling of fraudulent call traffic.
They also assisted certain customers in trading scam-related calls among themselves, investigators alleged.
“What the CEO and CSO of this well-known call tracking and analytics company did was downright despicable,” said Ted E Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.
“By their own admission, they willfully profited from telemarketing and tech support scammers, here and abroad, who preyed on the elderly, exploited the vulnerable, and drained victims of their life savings and peace of mind,” he added.
