Fraudsters who
posed as IRS officials threatened hardworking Americans with imprisonments for
the crime of tax default. Their modus operandi was simple; question victims
about defaulting on their tax payments, threaten legal action, arrest,
deportation or suspension of business rights, and finally offer an easy way out
– a chance to close the case without prosecution for a onetime deposit in a
bank account or alternatively getting the bank account details of the victim
which were then wiped clean.
Incredible as
it may seem, the con was so successful that the kingpin lived a life of 5 star
luxury, with fancy cars and hotel stays. In a short span of two years he
amassed significant wealth and employed over a 700 people in several call centers
across India and the US. Most of these call centers were owned by trusted
associates and employed high school graduates or drop outs who they lured with
high pay and luxurious lifestyles.
Income earned
in dollars was converted into India rupees using illegal money laundering
channels called Hawala. All employees were paid in cash. Call center executives
were offered incentives based on the income they generated from these frauds,
and the ones that performed were even offered a chance to work directly with
the kingpin, in his home city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat while being put up in 3 and
4 star hotels.
Fortunately,
India takes these crimes seriously, and once reported, Mumbai police detectives
over a period of 15 days, went incognito and surveyed these call centers before
busting them and arresting over 50 people. All convicted will be tried under
the Indian IT act and penal code.
There are
however, several countries that do not take action on these crimes as the
victims are not citizens of their countries.
Cybercitizen’s
are advised to be wary about calls which ask for personal information and money
in some form or the other.
