The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 15 locations across Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Haryana in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a “fake” call centre racket that allegedly defrauded foreign nationals of millions of US dollars, officials said.
The investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was initiated following multiple FIRs registered by the Delhi Police against Karan Verma and others in connection with a tech-support fraud case. ED sources said the alleged fraudsters operated several illegal call centres in Rohini, Paschim Vihar and Rajouri Garden in Delhi, targeting gullible foreign nationals, primarily in the US. The accused allegedly impersonated customer support staff of reputed companies such as Charles Schwab Financial Services, Microsoft and Apple and, in some instances, posed as police or investigating officers. Victims, reportedly based in the US and Europe, were coerced into transferring funds under threats of legal action or arrest.

One of the key tactics reportedly used by the fraudsters was the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) trick. These fake “blue screen” errors, designed to mimic real Windows system failures, would appear on victims’ devices, instructing them to call a phone number to “fix” the problem. When victims contacted the number, they were lured into the trap of fake tech support and coerced into paying significant amounts, often exhausting their hard-earned money.
Agency sources said the defrauded amounts were converted into cryptocurrencies, gift cards, and other digital assets, which were subsequently transferred to the accused and their accomplices in India.Investigations revealed that the cryptocurrency wallets reportedly show transactions running into millions of US dollars.
ED officials said raids in Mumbai targeted properties and associates believed to be connected to the accused, as part of efforts to trace the flow of funds from the fake call centre racket.The Mumbai-based teams reportedly assisted in running tech-support frauds, helping coordinate calls, process payments, and manage crypto-assets and gift card transactions connected to victims abroad.
ED Registers ECIR In ₹200-Crore Drug Haul Case Against Navin Chichkar, Probes Global Cartel LinksThe ED said the searches are continuing and the investigation is ongoing, with officials examining accounts,and digital transactions to map the full extent of the racket and identify further assets and individuals involved.
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