ED Arrests Fake Call Centre Kingpin Vikas Kumar Nimar in US Cyber Scam

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested Vikas Kumar Nimar, alias Misty, the alleged kingpin of a multi-crore fake call centre scam targeting American citizens, following a case initially registered by the Madhapur police. Nimar was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody for operating fraudulent technical-support call centres across several cities in India, including Hyderabad.

The ED initiated its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act based on the Madhapur police FIR. The Central Bureau of Investigation subsequently registered a separate case following Interpol inputs received through the United States embassy. According to investigators, the network ran cybercrime call centres in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Noida.

The ED alleged that Nimar floated a front company named VC Solutions to handle the illegal funds. An analysis of the company's bank accounts revealed massive cash deposits and credits. Although Nimar admitted the funds stemmed from call centre operations, he allegedly projected the income in tax returns as earnings from grocery trading and other purported businesses. ED officials found no legitimate business activity commensurate with the large transaction volume.

The overall scam, for which the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in 2023, involved impersonating officials from government agencies and reputed private companies. The syndicate procured US citizen data through specialized vendors and sent emails with fake malware alerts and virus warnings, inducing victims to dial toll-free numbers.

When victims called, fake customer care representatives persuaded them to buy bogus technical support services using gift cards. These gift cards were redeemed for cryptocurrencies, which crypto handlers and cash operators then converted into Indian rupees through banking channels and informal settlement mechanisms.

Substantial proceeds from the fraud were laundered through multiple bank accounts, cash withdrawals, and layered transactions, with funds also being transferred to Nimar's family members. Nimar, along with his associate Mohammed Irfan Ansari, allegedly managed these fraudulent tech-support centres directly.