A Hyderabad-linked call centre fraud network allegedly targeted nearly 20 lakh Americans, many of them elderly, using fake law enforcement threats and scam alerts, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated. The agency arrested four more accused on Wednesday. It said an overseas collection network picked up cash and gold directly from victims’ homes.
ED said its probe uncovered a transnational network spanning India, the US, Dubai and Hong Kong. The proceeds were allegedly routed through cryptocurrency channels, mule accounts and hawala operators before reaching India. The investigation began with the Madhapur call centre case in Hyderabad. It later led to the busting of operational call centres in Chandigarh, Patiala and Pune.
The scale of the operation emerged from WhatsApp groups recovered during the investigation. ED said the groups recorded 927 approved collections worth $27.39 million (Rs 261 crore) between July 2025 and September 2026. Fraudsters allegedly procured databases with nearly 20 lakh telephone numbers, names, addresses and ages of US residents, many of them senior citizens. The data was fed into auto diallers hosted on servers in Germany and Finland. Preliminary findings indicated the information may have come from the dark web and other online platforms. Forensic analysis of seized devices identified 549 American victims and targets, many born in the 1940s, who had already lost their life savings.
The scam typically began with a fake purchase notification, a refund offer or a computer virus alert. Victims either called a toll-free helpline or received calls that appeared to come from US numbers. Inside the call centres, employees had set roles. “Diallers” made the first contact, “bankers” assessed victims’ financial holdings, and “closers” posed as US government officials. Callers allegedly impersonated the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and US Treasury. They used forged badges, identity cards, seizure notices and court orders to falsely link victims’ bank accounts to drug trafficking or money laundering cases. Victims were told to keep it secret and hand over their money for supposed government safekeeping.
ED said US-based associates collected cash and gold directly from victims’ homes, while others received parcels through courier stores. Victims were allegedly told to buy gold bars, hide cash in courier packages, transfer funds to designated accounts, buy gift cards or deposit money through Bitcoin ATMs. Arrested accused Jaswant Singh allegedly coordinated cash pickups and parcel collections in the US. He also helped route the proceeds into channels that converted them into rupees. Investigators recovered Social Security details of 140 Americans along with personal and banking information. ED alleged that identity documents were misused to receive parcels in other people’s names and to create front entities to receive money.
ED alleged that cryptocurrency was used both to move illicit proceeds and to fund the fraud infrastructure. Lead databases, internet-calling services and dialler systems were allegedly paid for using USDT. The money trail ran through US mule accounts, companies in Dubai and Hong Kong, crypto wallets, and hawala and angadia channels before reaching India. The proceeds were then invested in properties, gold, vehicles and businesses. ED’s Hyderabad zonal office is continuing to trace additional beneficiaries and identify the remaining proceeds of crime.
