US gift cards, Chinese crypto currency, Anagadias: How call centre fraudsters duped US citizens

The tip mentioned that the accused would send mass emails and messages to US citizens that their ‘Geeksquad’ and ‘McAfee’ antiviruses were expiring and had been renewed by them (the accused). The e-mail mentioned that around 250 – 500 US dollars had been debited from the person’s account and if they wanted to get a refund, they should call on the toll-free number.

Not realizing that no money has been debited from their account, victims would call up on the toll-free number which would patch them to the Goregaon call centre. Here, the callers would pretend to be antivirus company employees and confirm that money had been debited from their accounts.

“The accused would tell the US citizens that they would have to purchase a money gift card worth 250 to 500 US dollars using which they would be refunded the amount,” an officer said. Sometime later, the victim would call back saying that while they had purchased the gift card, the money had not been refunded. The accused would ask the US citizen to share the gift card number, and after receiving the details, would hang up and block the victim.

Using a network involving Chinese nationals, the accused would then have the gift card amounts be converted into cryptocurrency while giving them a cut of 20 to 30 percent. After that, using the help of angadias or hawala operators, the accused would convert the cryptocurrency into cash, the officer explained.

An official said that one of the call centre owners was technologically adept and oversaw the conversion of gift cards to cash. The police are also checking if they have any prior criminal records.

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