Close X
Monday, December 23, 2024
ADVT 
International

4 Charged In $3.5 Mn-Fraud 'Likely' Linked To India

IANS, 01 Dec, 2017 09:59 PM
    Four men of Indian descent have been charged in a $3.5 million-fraud in which they pretended to be tax officials and collected money by allegedly threatening over 7,300 people, a federal prosecutor has announced.
     
     
    Gregory J Haanstad, the Wisconsin Eastern District prosecutor, on Thursday said the scheme was “likely originating from India”.
     
     
    Moin Gohil, 22, was picked up by law enforcement authorities in Georgia on November 24, and Pratik Patel, 26, Parvez Jiwani, 39, and Nakul Chetiwal, 27, were arrested on Tuesday by federal authorities, Haanstad said.
     
     
    According to the prosecutor, their fraud is known as an “IRS impersonation scheme”.
     
     
    Participants in the scheme based “likely in India” call victims in the US pretending to be officials of the federal tax agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and typically claim they owe taxes. They then threaten and intimidate the victims saying they would face arrest or legal action if they did not send money through services like MoneyGram and Western Union or provide gift cards with cash value.
     
     
    Members based in the US, who are known as “runners” use fake identification to pick up the money or the cards.
     
     
    Haanstad said that Gohil, Chetiwal and Jiwani, who were allegedly “runners” picked up $666,537 sent from 784 victims between January 25, 2016 and August 8, 2017.
     
     
    In addition, the false IDs used by them are linked to 6,530 other fraudulent transactions totalling $2.83 million, he added.
     
     
    Patel “aided and abetted” at least one of the runners, he said.
     
     
    They have been charged with three offences--wire fraud (which is using electronic communication to commit fraud), conspiracy and aiding and abetting crimes.
     
     
    They could face a maximum prison term of 20 years and $250,000 fine for each of the crimes if found guilty.
     
     
    Frauds like these are widely prevalent and have tarnished the reputation of India and Indians through their calls.
     
     
    In November, US authorities busted an Ahmedabad-based operation which defrauded residents of at least $25 million.
     
     
    Five men, who were arrested in the US, admitted their guilt in federal courts in Texas and Arizona and were awaiting sentencing.
     
     
    In that case, 53 people in India were also charged. The alleged mastermind of the call centre used in the operation, Sagar “Shaggy” Thakkar, had been arrested in Mumbai in April.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe

    Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe
    An 11-year-old boy in Pakistan, who was inspired by a popular Indian television series CID, has been arrested for allegedly killing his younger sister after she teased him for his poor handwriting.

    Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe

    Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son

    Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son
    Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has dedicated Caparo plants in India in honour of his late son Angad Paul.

    Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son

    Saudi-Based NRI Joins Hands With Super 30 To Help Talented Minority Students

    Saudi-Based NRI Joins Hands With Super 30 To Help Talented Minority Students
    Obaidur Rahman, a businessman who is also chairman of the Bihar foundation in Saudi Arabia, has formed an organization called Rahman 30, which will select 30 talented students from the minority community

    Saudi-Based NRI Joins Hands With Super 30 To Help Talented Minority Students

    Amarinder Singh Sanctions Rs 3.56 Lakh For Punjab Youth Stuck In Sharjah

    Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday sanctioned Rs 3,56,700 from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, on humanitarian grounds, to facilitate the return of a Gurdaspur resident from a ship he is stuck in at Sharjah Port.

    Amarinder Singh Sanctions Rs 3.56 Lakh For Punjab Youth Stuck In Sharjah

    15-Year-Old Indian Girl Dies Of Heart Attack On Saudi Arabia Beach

    15-Year-Old Indian Girl Dies Of Heart Attack On Saudi Arabia Beach
    A 15-year-old Indian girl has died of a heart attack while playing at the popular Half Moon beach in Al-Khobar city of Saudi Arabia.

    15-Year-Old Indian Girl Dies Of Heart Attack On Saudi Arabia Beach

    PICS: PM Modi Begins 'Groundbreaking' Visit, Benjamin Netanyahu Says 'Historic'

    PICS: PM Modi Begins 'Groundbreaking' Visit, Benjamin Netanyahu Says 'Historic'
    A new fast-growing Israeli Chrysanthemum flower has been named after visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour him.

    PICS: PM Modi Begins 'Groundbreaking' Visit, Benjamin Netanyahu Says 'Historic'