ED Uncovers 20-Lakh-Name Lead List in US Call Centre Fraud Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested four more people in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation into an alleged call centre scam that targeted US nationals by impersonating American government officials, the agency said on Wednesday.

The accused allegedly contacted US residents on the pretext of fraudulent purchases or suspicious charges on their accounts before intimidating them by posing as officials of agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and Department of the Treasury.

According to the ED, the callers used forged identity cards, badges, official letters and court documents to convince victims that they faced legal action.

Under the threat of prosecution, victims were allegedly coerced into handing over cash and gold to pick-up agents, sending money through courier parcels, transferring funds to US bank accounts operated by money mules or purchasing gift cards.

The proceeds were subsequently converted into Indian rupees through cryptocurrency and hawala channels and routed through accounts in Dubai and other countries, the agency said.

The four arrested persons -- Harshil Nayanbhai Raval, Jaswant Singh, Chetan Munjal and Pranav Pithadia -- were taken into custody on Tuesday. They were produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Nampally, Hyderabad, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Three people were arrested earlier this year in the case and are currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail.

The ED had conducted searches in September at multiple locations in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh as part of the investigation.

During the probe, the agency found that calls were made from India to US residents using lead lists containing around 20 lakh people, American telephone numbers and auto-dialler servers hosted in Germany and Finland.

The investigation is continuing.