FBI shuts down a call center operation in India that was defrauding senior citizens in America in the name of tech support.
The FBI in Boston announced that they shut down a call center operation in India after busting a major racket that involved perpetrators from the US, too. The call center operation defrauded hundreds of elderly victims in the US and elsewhere out of millions of dollars through tech support scams. The FBI investigation said two senior executives from the US were part of it and in fact, they enabled it by turning a blind eye to the widespread fraud.
Who are Adam Young and Harrison Gevirtz? What was the scam?
Florida’s Adam Young, 42 and Las Vegas’ Harrison Gevirtz, 33, operated a business, Ringba, that provided telecommunications-related services, including telephone numbers, call routing services, call tracking, and call forwarding services, to customers they knew were engaged in tech-support fraud schemes. They have now pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, in violation of federal law. They are scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2026.The investigation further revealed that call centers based in India utilized Young and Gervitz’s business to route their “tech fraud” scheme calls and, in some instances, advised those fraudsters on methods intended to reduce complaints and prevent account terminations.
Indian part of the scam: Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum, Manish Kumar, Jagmeet Singh Virk
The investigation began in 2020 that led FBI to India-based telemarketing fraudsters. Indian citizens Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum and Manish Kumar were convicted of charges related to telemarketing fraud schemes based India that targeted and defrauded Americans of millions of dollars, many of them vulnerable to fraud schemes due to age or infirmity. The 5th person convicted in the same scam was Jagmeet Singh Virk.
Beware! Your computer has virus
According to court documents, from approximately 2016 through 2022 Young, Gevirtz, and others knew that some of their customers were engaged in tech-support fraud schemes. The schemes used deceptive pop-up messages to convince computer users that their computers had been infected with viruses or malware. Victims were directed to call a phone number on the pop-up message or advertisement, which connected the victims to call centers, where they were persuaded to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary or fictitious technical-support services. In some instances, call center agents remotely accessed victims’ computers and obtained personal and financial information.
Young, Gevirtz came to know of the fraud, became a part of it
From 2017 through April 2022, after learning of their customers’ fraud schemes, Young and Gevirtz failed to report the schemes to law enforcement officials. According to statements filed with the court, the defendants received numerous complaints and inquiries from telephone providers and law enforcement concerning customers engaged in tech-support fraud. Despite that knowledge, they advised some of their customers about techniques the customers could use to avoid complaints by fraud victims and prevent account termination. Young and Gevirtz assisted some of those customers to buy and sell fraud calls amongst themselves.Young and Gevirtz themselves owned and operated a call center in Tunisia from 2016 through April 2022 where some employees engaged in tech-support fraud.”What the CEO and CSO of this well-known call tracking and analytics company did was downright despicable. By their own admission, they willfully profited from telemarketing and tech support scammers, here and abroad, who preyed on the elderly, exploited the vulnerable, and drained victims of their life savings and peace of mind. Behind every fraudulent call was a real person left frightened, humiliated, or financially shattered,” said Ted EDocks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.“Tech support scams cost Americans $2.1 billion last year, and Rhode Islanders reported losing at least $5.7 million. Let this be a warning: if you fuel and support these criminal networks that prey on unsuspecting consumers, the FBI will pursue you relentlessly to ensure you’re held accountable for the harm you helped inflict,” EDocks said.Court documents further reflect that the two former CEOs directed employees to promote their company’s services to customers engaged in tech-support fraud and, at times, introduced customers involved in the fraudulent activity with others who could support their fraudulent business. Go to Source
