Dozens arrested at India call center linked to IRS scam calls

We'll see what happens, but hopefully it's a good start!

Dozens arrested at India call center linked to IRS scam calls

Here's the text of the article if you don't want to click the link:

NEW DELHI (AP) – Indian police have arrested 70 people and are questioning hundreds more after uncovering a massive scam to cheat thousands of Americans out of millions of dollars by posing as U.S. tax authorities and demanding unpaid taxes, a police officer said Thursday.

According to police in Mumbai, the yearlong scam involved running fake call centers which sent voice mail messages telling U.S. nationals to call back because they owed back taxes.

Those who called back and believed the threats would fork out thousands of dollars to “settle” their case, Mumbai police officer Parag Marere said Thursday.

The scam brought in more than $150,000 a day, Marere said without giving a total sum. If the scam netted that amount daily, it would have made almost $55 million in one year.

Some victims were also told to buy gift vouchers from various companies, and hand over the voucher ID numbers which the impostors then used to make purchases, Marere said.

Police said they are likely to file charges against many of the 600 or more people still being questioned on suspicion of running the fake call centers, housed on several stories of a Mumbai office building.

Those arrested so far include several of the alleged ringleaders, as well as people accused of providing equipment and setting up the fake call centers. The criminal charges filed against the suspects include extortion, impersonation and violations of India’s information technology laws.

“We are questioning those who were involved in the fraud, including those posing as tax investigators,” Marere said.

Police raided the offices this week and seized hundreds of hard disks, hard disks, high-end servers and other electronic equipment.

Indian media reports said 70 percent of the scam’s proceeds were retained by the suspects in India, while the rest was paid to collaborators in the U.S.

Indian news broadcaster NDTV reported that one U.S.-based company allegedly collected the victims’ personal information and passed it to the fake call centers.

The IRS reports receiving more than 900,000 complaints about similar scam calls since October 2013. More than 5,000 people have fallen for the scam, paying out more than $26 million collectively as a result of scams.

The IRS has yet to comment on this recent arrests in India.

the IRS does not call you...they send demand letters in the Mail......

It's about time they put a stop to this non sense.

Hopefully the ring leaders get the maximum punishment.

Hey, I got that call! I also called back, which I have a habit of doing!!! When asked for my pertinent information, it all fell apart pretty quickly when I told them that they in fact called me and should have all that on the lawsuit paperwork!! It really took a bad turn when I used the term "towelhead", and ended up in a schoolyard fight of "you're a ******, no, you're a ******"!! Still waiting on the Sherrif, must be stuck at the light!!!.......

Happy, Happy! Can't tell you how many of those calls I've gotten. Wife was totally panicked when she got one. I explained to her that, first, I'm too conservative to get into that kind of trouble and, second, the IRS would send certified mail to ensure they could prove contact. I shudder to think what some elderly folks might have thought.

They tried pulling that on me too. I wasn't home so they left an intimidating message on my machine. I just laughed at it as I hit the delete button. They tried two more times before they stopped calling.

Yeah, my father in law went into a severe panic mode when he was called. No one was able to convince him it was a scam until he talked to me. I explained that 1) the IRS would've mailed him first, and 2) I googled the scam and found that it was a very active scam. He still wanted to call them back, but didn't. It was an effective scam.

My mom received one about a week and a half ago. Called me crying, I told her it ws a scam. They wanted her to send them 12K. It took me a long time to calm her down she is old and frail. If she had the extra money i think she would have sent it. I'm glad she called me.

I'm in the computer business dealing with the end users, and I can tell you that the one posted is only ONE of thousands of scams coming out of India.
It's about friggin time someone was doing something about this crap, but there are WAY more of them than they will ever keep up with.
I get calls all the time about a customer computer "Locked due to illegal activities" and "You must buy this card and enter the number to pay your fine"

The cards are usually Bit Coin type cards where they can not be tracked back by following the money trail.
It also makes one wonder why Congress wants to start using this form of monetary transfer. (sarcasm, but they do)

We get calls claiming to be from the CRA (our version of the IRS)all the time. Always have an Indian accent. Probably the same group of scum. They usually hang up when they get me. I did call them back once and left them a message that would not be suitable for posting here.

Sad that our govt has departments that are so feared by the citizens that this type of scam is even possible. Makes me think the IRS in particular (and the govt as whole) has way too much power.

I was getting these calls at least once a week, for the last few months. Happy that it may be over.

I've got to show this to the wife. While annoying, we were getting these calls too, we laughed. The Indian accent along with him calling himself an officer was too much, hope he was one of the ones they got!!!

they called my adoptive dad's phone and he gave it to me and I made them hang up on me because I can speak "indian" and I started talking to him and he tried to act like he didn't want to hear it but yet he acknowledged what I was telling him.

I told him in Hindi...... "your in India, and I know it" he said " I am in Indiana" I said "full of **** man" he hung up ...we thought it was pretty funny

Rainy Day Auto said:

they called my adoptive dad's phone and he gave it to me and I made them hang up on me because I can speak "indian" and I started talking to him and he tried to act like he didn't want to hear it but yet he acknowledged what I was telling him.

I told him in Hindi...... "your in India, and I know it" he said " I am in Indiana" I said "full of **** man" he hung up ...we thought it was pretty funny

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Now that right there is funny!!! And of course the IRS collections division is in India-na isn't it???

I as well!!!

Considering a few key words we're spoken that alerted me like a big red neon warning sign in the middle of the night. It all unraveled very quickly.

I agree that there wording, on the surface was very alarming and just aggressive enough to get the unsuspecting rattled.

I'm currently getting one that says there filing a law suite on my behalf and then a sentence or two later say, "Unless you want big trouble....."

Excuse me?!?! LMAO!

It is a shame that yet once again man kind shows there *** on top of there shoulders as simple common thieves and lazy S.O.B.'s.

I got those calls too .
I star 67 the. Called back again and again .
Told them I was coming for them
And I knew who they were .
Pretty soon they would not answer .

Oh! You acted like the crazy man! Excellent choice!

It's there nightmare
Come (almost) true! A wacky gun toating American that loves to use it... a lot... on live bipedal pray!

jimmer said:

I got those calls too .
I star 67 the. Called back again and again .
Told them I was coming for them
And I knew who they were .
Pretty soon they would not answer .

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So how did you send the cops to there place? to bad you couldn't call back and tell them I told you so! HAHAHA

I have them on "call blocker"

Tony Fields said:

I have them on "call blocker"

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Now, what fun is that??? I used to love those telemarketing calls, great way to practice your zydeco lyrics!!

It's about time! They kept calling and bothering my wife. I would always take the phone and call them camel jockeys or worse. I loved to agitate them to no end. I would keep calling them back and use an Indian accent on them. A few times I was able to get into an argument with them and it was very enjoyable pissing them off.