FBI Meets ED in Hyderabad Over Rs 200 Crore Call Centre Fraud

Officials from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation visited the Enforcement Directorate office in Hyderabad on Wednesday to share and exchange crucial intelligence regarding a call centre fraud network suspected of generating proceeds of crime worth approximately ₹200 crore. The investigation into the syndicate has its origins in a criminal case registered by the Madhapur police.

The visiting FBI team met with ED officials at the agency's Basheerbagh office in Hyderabad. During the meeting, the US law enforcement officials obtained specific details concerning the ED's ongoing money laundering investigation into the illicit syndicate, which allegedly defrauded American nationals through impersonation and coercion.

Investigators revealed that the fraudulent call centre network targeted US citizens by posing as official representatives of US government agencies as well as private technical support firms. The operatives allegedly intimidated victims by threatening them with severe legal consequences over purported tax defaults, unpaid loan dues, and other fabricated illegal activities. American nationals were then coerced into making payments to clear the fictitious liabilities.

The broader case began unfolding when the Madhapur police registered an FIR in 2023. That action came after the United States Embassy and Interpol formally flagged the illegal operation, alerting authorities to Hyderabad-based call centres executing fraudulent schemes against US citizens via fake technical support services and government impersonation calls.

Following the FIR by Madhapur police, the Enforcement Directorate launched its own investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The federal agency expanded the scope of the probe by linking the operation to a larger case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in September 2024 against illegal call centres accused of defrauding foreign nationals across borders.