ED Busts $15 Million Tech Support Scam Targeting Americans

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a key accused in a large-scale tech support fraud that allegedly defrauded American citizens of nearly $15 million, highlighting the growing global footprint of cross-border cybercrime originating from India.

According to investigators, the accused was part of an organized syndicate that operated fake technical support call centres, primarily targeting elderly and vulnerable individuals in the United States. Victims were contacted through pop-up warnings, spoofed phone calls, and emails falsely claiming their computers or online accounts had been compromised. Posing as representatives of well-known technology companies, the scammers convinced victims to grant remote access to their devices.

Once access was obtained, the fraudsters fabricated security threats and pressured victims into paying hefty “service fees” to fix non-existent issues. Payments were routed through international wire transfers, prepaid cards, and cryptocurrency channels to evade detection. The ED traced the proceeds of crime through multiple layers of shell entities and bank accounts before identifying the accused’s role in managing operations and laundering funds.

Searches conducted at multiple locations led to the seizure of digital devices, financial records, and documents linked to overseas remittances. The agency said the arrested individual played a critical role in coordinating call centre activities, recruiting agents, and handling money flows.

The case underscores the increasing scrutiny by Indian authorities on cyber-enabled financial crimes with international victims. Officials reiterated that such scams not only damage India’s global reputation but also invite tighter regulatory and law enforcement cooperation with foreign agencies.

Investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the network and recover additional proceeds of crime.