Joint Op: India And FBI Takedown $48 Million Call Center Scam Network

India-West News Desk

BALTIMORE, MD-A high-level joint operation between United States federal agencies and Indian law enforcement has led to the dismantling of a massive international scam network.

On February 2, the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Montgomery County Police Department announced that their coordinated efforts with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation resulted in the December 2025 shutdown of multiple illicit call centers. Six Indian nationals, identified as the leaders of these criminal syndicates, were arrested during the raids in India. These hubs had been orchestrating sophisticated government impersonation and tech support scams targeting Americans since 2022.

The scale of the fraud was vast, with the FBI reporting that approximately 660 victims nationwide lost a staggering $48,778,230 to this specific network. Maryland was hit particularly hard, with nearly two dozen residents losing more than $6.2 million. FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul credited the victims who came forward, stating to the press that “because of those reports, the FBI was able to work jointly with Indian authorities to help dismantle this massive criminal enterprise.”

The investigation revealed that the syndicates exploited fear by posing as officials from agencies like the Social Security Administration or the FBI. Victims were often threatened with imprisonment for fabricated crimes and pressured into moving their life savings into cryptocurrency or wire transfers.

In addition to the arrests in India, local enforcement in Maryland has arrested eight individuals since 2024, with three suspects directly linked to the Indian call centers. Montgomery County Police Captain Marc Erme emphasized the strength of this cross-border alliance, noting that the results “underscore what strong partnerships can accomplish when we work together across jurisdictions and across borders.”