23-year-old Kingpin in US Tax Call Center Scam Flees Country?

10 Oct, 2016 15:52 IST|Sakshi
Police officials said that the call center bust is the tip of the iceberg as the mafia is spread across the country. Several US agencies are cooperating with with the Thane police and exchanging details to speed up the investigation.

Mumbai: Police identified the kingpin behind the fake call center. The main culprit in the US tax call center fraud is a 23-year-old Shahgar Thakkar, alias Shaggy, who's absconding after the scam came to light on last Tuesday. His close associate Tapash is also on the run. It's suspected that Shaggy must have fled the country. Police officials said that the call center bust is the tip of the iceberg as the mafia is spread across the country. Several US agencies are cooperating with with the Thane police and exchanging details to speed up the investigation.

The call center located on the Mira Road extorted millions of dollars from US citizens by impersonating as US tax officials. So far over 70 people on charges of extortion, impersonation and cyber crime, have been arrested and the Thane police are questioning hundreds of people in connection with US tax scam as the department served notices to 630 suspects. Employees at some call centers had sent out thousands of calls and messages each day impersonating as US tax officials. These scamsters threatened to involve American authorities if they weren't promptly paid.

Thakkar wanted to make a fortune in a short span of time. He conceptualized an idea to cheat foreigners without leaving the country. He believed to have made Rs500 crore in the tax scam. According to sources, Shaggy may have fled the country.

Witnesses and accused have told the police that Thakkar has several high-end cars and lives like a multimillionaire. Many of his friends got motivation as Thakkar's lavish lifestyle and flamboyance."

a Thane police officer said that they found a couple of WhatsApp groups on which the call centre employees were present and would get data on gullible US citizens.

Based on earnings potential of employees, call center has classified seating arrangement for them. The Mira Road call centers have the top floor was for those making as low as $1.5 lakh per month for their firm. On the lowest floors would be those making $5-7 lakh per month.

The modus operandi was that employees at these call centers used to make their calls by posing as officials of the US Internal Revenue Service or the immigration department. Some of the employees are experts in computer trouble shooting, servicing or credit cards agents.

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