Indian national pleads guilty in multi-million dollar call centre scam in US
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 May, 2023 12:05 PM
New York, May 18 (IANS) A 28-year-old Indian citizen has entered a guilty plea in a years-long international conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud that saw millions of dollars being extorted from hundreds of victims in the US.
Zaheen Malvi, who was illegally residing in Heber Springs, Arkansas, assisted Indian call centres in the telemarketing scheme scam, US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani announced.
"The Indian call centres perpetrating these scams are relentless," said Hamdani.
"They prey on the fears and insecurities of the most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly. But we are relentless too. Today, one more criminal is finally held to account for the many years he helped funnel money from victims into the pockets of overseas scammersaand tomorrow, we keep working."
The court noted that Malvi first acted as a runner in the scheme, going to different Target stores in the Chicago area and depleting funds from gift cards that victims had transferred to the call centres.
In later years, he managed other runners as they traveled around the country, picking up packages filled with cash that call center victims had mailed.
A common script used in the scheme involved coercing victims into believing federal agents were investigating them.
The "agent" on the phone would convince the victim the only way to clear his or her name from investigation was to buy gift cards and transfer the redemption codes to the call centre or mail cash in a package to a name and address the call centre provided.
Runners in the US would then deplete the gift card funds and pick up the packages.
As part of his plea agreement, Malvi will pay restitution to the scheme's identified victims.
US District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the plea and set sentencing for August 14.
At that time, Malvi faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
White House officials say the shortfall will soon make it harder to access the vaccines, booster shots, tests and drug therapies that have become vital tools in the fight against COVID-19.
So far the Russian troops have taken over the closed nuclear power plant at Chernobyl and the active nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River, in the city of Enerhodar.
According to the officials in the Indian mission, Vysne Nemecke is a small village on the Slovakia- Ukraine border and opposite Ukraine's Uzhhorod city. From here, the evacuated Indians are transported to the regional capital, Kosice, from where the Indian flights under 'Operation Ganga' are being operated.
The shooting came less than a week after a shooting at a Las Vegas hookah bar killed one person and wounded 13. That shooting last Saturday was described as an exchange of gunfire involving people at a private party. Police have arrested one suspect.
The meeting is set to culminate in a vote Friday on whether to set up a three-person expert panel. The vote by the 47-member-state body, which counts Ukraine and Russia as members, offers a bellwether of international sentiment about the Kremlin's invasion.
The Nasdaq fell 1.6% as technology companies led the way lower. Less risky sectors like utilities gained ground. Major indexes had rallied a day earlier after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he favored a modest interest rate increase at the Fed’s policy meeting in two weeks.
