On June 29, 2024, police in Central Noida conducted as raid against an illegal call center operating out of the Bhutani Alphathum Building at GC76+79C, Blossom County, Sector 90, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201305, India, for deceiving American residents with a Social Security scam.
- Their targets, whose data was illegally obtained through a third-party vendor, were issued voicemails falsely claiming their Social Security numbers were being seized due to “criminal activities,” urging them to call their direct “helpline number.”
- The calls were routed to executives at their Noida call center, who follow scripted scare tactics, posed as US marshals and instructed their victims to pay through cryptocurrencies, online transfers or Apple gift cards, though the payments would all go to their Indian bank accounts.
- 73 individuals were arrested: 40 men and 33 women, and most from Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Police were looking for four of these individuals, who operated the call center.
- 73 computer sets were seized during the operation, alongside 14 phones, 3 routers, $575 in Indian rupees and 58 printouts of their script.
- The scammers are being charged under sections 419-420, 467-468 and 471 of the IPC and provisions of the IT Act, which relate to cheating by impersonation and forgery.