$14 Million Scam, Indian Call Center Rips Off Americans

(TJVNEWS.COM)According to the NYTimes, an Indian call center in Peera Garhi, west of Delhi, tricked victims into believing their bank accounts were frozen as part of an elaborate drug investigation. As many as 4,500 victims were told, they had to transfer money to the scammers or risk serious jail time.

On Dec. 17, as many as 50 people from the call center were arrested. Authorities alleged the employees learned American accents and pretended to be officials of various American law enforcement agencies.

The South China Morning Post said the “call center even had a human resources policy offering graded salary scales, bonuses for Christmas and for those who could get people to capitulate fast, as well as paid holidays.”

T he call center bilked more than $14 million from gullible Americans who “were asked to buy Bitcoins or Google gift cards worth all the money in their accounts,” said Anyesh Roy, a police officer in New Delhi. The monies were then transferred to what the victims thought was a “safe government wallet” but were actually accounts tied to the call center.