The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained Chandra Prakash Gupta for his involvement in a significant illegal call center scam that targeted United States nationals from the Delhi-NCR region. Gupta was apprehended on December 13 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, after investigations into a tech support fraud scheme that impersonated well-known technical service providers. The Special PMLA Court in Gurugram has granted custody of Gupta until December 24.
The ED’s inquiry was triggered by an FIR filed by the CBI’s IOD branch in Delhi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000. Following searches on December 19 and 20 at 10 locations in Delhi-NCR, authorities seized jewelry valued at around Rs 1.75 crore, cash exceeding Rs 10 lakh, luxury vehicles, watches, digital devices, and incriminating documents. Additionally, over 220 bottles of expensive liquor, surpassing the residential limit, were found during the searches.
Illegal call centers in Noida and Gurugram were reportedly used to deceive US citizens through fake Microsoft security alerts. Victims were lured into calling displayed numbers, allowing scammers to gain control over their devices by installing remote access software. This enabled the extraction of sensitive personal and financial data. The illicit proceeds were channeled through foreign bank accounts, converted into cryptocurrencies, and reintroduced into India through shell entities.
The ED estimates that victims were defrauded of nearly USD 15 million between November 2022 and April 2024, with assets exceeding Rs 100 crore acquired from the fraudulent gains. The investigation into the case is ongoing, with key suspects like Arjun Gulati, Abhinav Kalra, and Divyansh Goel still evading authorities.
