CBI Registers Case Against Accused for Defrauding US Citizen via Phone Scam

CBI Registers Case Against Accused for Defrauding US Citizen via Phone Scam

VoM News Desk | October 21, 2023 | 12:16 PM IST | Breaking News, World | Follow on Google News

CBI Registers Case Against Accused for Defrauding US Citizen via Phone Scam

Criminal Scam Targeting US Citizen Unveiled: Defrauding US Citizen via Phone Scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a case against an individual accused of defrauding a United States citizen through an elaborate phone scam. The accused, an Indian national, assumed the pseudonymous identity of “James Carlson” and falsely posed as a representative from a Fraud Department of a Multi-National Company during the fraudulent phone interaction.

Deceptive Tactics and Exploitation

The accused engaged in deceptive tactics, informing the victim that someone had attempted to place an unauthorized computer order using the victim’s account within the Multi-National Company. Furthermore, the victim was falsely misled into believing that individuals in four different US states had utilized their Social Security Number to establish accounts within the said company.

The accused then proceeded to induce the victim into withdrawing cash from their bank accounts. The victim was directed to deposit the withdrawn funds into Bitcoin at the Rocket Coin ATM Wallet. The accused went to great lengths by providing the victim with a QR code and falsely asserting that the US Treasury had authorized the transaction for the victim. To gain the victim’s trust, the accused also emailed a fabricated letter, purportedly issued by the Federal Trade Commission of the USA, dated September 20, 2022.

In response to these deceptions, the victim allegedly withdrew a total of $130,000 from their bank accounts on various dates between August 30, 2022, and September 9, 2022. These funds were deposited into the Bitcoin address provided by the accused. Regrettably, the accused subsequently misappropriated these funds, thereby defrauding the victim of $130,000.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States provided critical inputs that enabled the investigation by the CBI. Subsequently, searches were conducted at the accused’s premises in Ahmedabad, yielding significant results.

Discovering Cryptocurrencies and Complicity

The searches led to the discovery and seizure of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and USDT, collectively valued at approximately $9.3 lakh US Dollars, from the crypto wallets associated with the accused. Additionally, incriminating material was also recovered during these searches.

As a result, the investigation uncovered the involvement of two other individuals, both residents of Ahmedabad. Searches conducted at the premises of these individuals resulted in the retrieval of mobile phones, laptops containing incriminating material, and more.

The investigation remains ongoing, as authorities work to fully unravel the extent of the fraudulent activity and any potential complicity in the scam.

VoM News Desk

VoM News is an online web portal in jammu Kashmir offers regional, National & global news.