How false IRS employees from India lured money from Americans

Фото: Depositphotos

In late September, a woman in National City, California, answered the call, where a voice at the other end told me that she had problems with the US Tax Service (IRS) and was accused of “tax evasion or tax fraud”.

The man introduced himself as an employee of the IRS and threatened her with a prison if she did not pay $ 1000. However, the woman stated that she only has $ 500.

“Madam, you can pay $500 today. Can you do this?” the caller asked.
Then a man asked her to stay on the line, get to the nearest store and buy an iTunes gift card for $ 500 and say codes for redemption.

She has just become a victim of fraudsters who robbed at least 15 thousands of people, according to the US Department of Justice. Because of their fraud, America has lost more than $ 300 million since the 2013 year.

Last month, investigators found fraudsters who were geographically located in India and worked in fake call centers, and arrested them.

20, their collaborators who lived in the United States, are also arrested. In India, 75 people who “worked” in 3 premises in Tana, a suburb of Mumbai, were arrested.

They are accused of conspiring to steal personal data under the guise of a US officer, fraud and money laundering.

Indian police reported that they are actively searching for Sagar Thakkar, who became the author of this scam. Reuters was unable to contact him or his lawyer. Police believe he ran to Dubai a month ago. He is now trying to calculate and extradite to India.

Police said Thakkar led a wasteful lifestyle, loved 5-star hotels, expensive cars that he bought to help out fraudulent actions. He bought his girlfriend Audi R8 for 25 million rupees ($ 365 000).

Indian police helps the FBI, which has so far refused to comment. The US Department of Justice also makes no comment.

At a press conference last month, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said the United States would seek the extradition of suspects in India.

Фото: Depositphotos

The investigators fell into the hands of training materials and records, which, presumably, made the call center instructors for staff training. This data helped shed light on a fraudulent scheme aimed at unsuspecting people and elderly Americans.

One of the call center employees said that they were taught to be tough, and the income was unpredictable. Haider Ali Ayub El-Mansuri, who is now awaiting his sentence in prison, said that on good days they could get about $ 20 thousand from one US citizen.

Even in India, the scale of fraud surprised many.

For several months, hundreds of young men and women worked at night in several fake call centers in Tanya. They defiantly disguised themselves as IRS officials and threatened their victims, often newly arrived immigrants and the elderly, forcing them to pay fictitious tax penalties in electronic form, buying gift cards and sending redemption codes.

Acting on a tip, in early October, the police broke into the premises of the call center. Within a few days, more than 700 people were detained. Most of them were released, but asked not to leave the city.

Fraudsters defiantly intimidated their victims, threatening with arrest, jail, confiscation of their house and passport.

Фото: Depositphotos

“There was one case where an old lady burst into tears because she didn’t have the money to pay,” said a former call center worker who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. “But we continued to insist on money. We were taught to be tough."

Another employee of the call center, who got a job, not knowing what to do, said that she was promised a rate of 12 000 rupees ($ 180) per month - much lower than the average rates for graduates. Given that they do not want to take a job without experience, she decided to undergo an internship.

She said that the interns were locked in rooms, and they had to learn dialogue for their victims. For each dollar brought to the workers, they were promised 2 rupees (about a third of the US cent).

When people refused to engage in illegal activities, managers offered them weekly incentives. For example, cash or gadgets, just to reach your goal.

The first arrests in this case began a few weeks ago. Recall how already reported ForumDaily, a special operation took place in India. Police detained more than 750 people suspected of deceiving US citizens through a call center specially created for fraudulent operations.

Read also on ForumDaily:

IRS fake employees cheated on $ 300 million immigrants

In India, phone scammers extorted from Americans immediately "pay taxes"

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