Scam targeting Americans: ED raids 3 places in Khanpur area

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday night raided three locations in the Khanpur area of South Delhi, uncovering a suspected international scam targeting American nationals. The raids began around 10:30 pm on July 31 and continued till Thursday morning.

Officials said the premises were allegedly operating as an illegal call centre that deceived foreign nationals - mostly from the United States - by selling counterfeit software, including fake versions of Microsoft Windows, disguised as legitimate products.

According to investigators, the operation has been active since at least 2016 and is believed to have funneled nearly Rs 100 crore in foreign remittances over the years.

“These funds are now under investigation as suspected proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” a senior ED officer said.

The agency suspects the call centre used misleading tech support tactics to exploit unsuspecting victims, making the scheme appear as a legitimate customer service operation. Evidence collected so far points to a sophisticated, long-running racket with international reach, officials added. The probe remains ongoing.