ED Arrests Key Accused in Delhi-NCR Illegal Call Centre Money Laundering Case Targeting US Nationals.

Headnote:

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested Chandra Prakash Gupta, a key accused in a large-scale illegal call centre scam operating from the Delhi-NCR region and targeting U.S. nationals. The case involves sophisticated tech support frauds through impersonation of Microsoft technical support, resulting in proceeds of crime estimated at approximately USD 15 million. The Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA), Gurugram granted ED custody of the accused till 24 December 2025.

Background:

1. ED initiated investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI, IOD, Delhi, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
2. Chandra Prakash Gupta had been absconding since July 2024 following CBI raids, pursuant to which a Non-Bailable Warrant was issued against him.
3. The accused is a key conspirator in tech support frauds involving impersonation of technical service providers.

Modus Operandi of the Scam

1. Illegal call centres were operated from Noida and Gurugram, where employees targeted U.S. nationals.
2. Victims were deceived through fake pop-up alert messages closely resembling official Microsoft security notifications.
3. The pop-ups prompted victims to call displayed phone numbers, connecting them to fraudsters impersonating Microsoft technical support.
4. Using VoIP systems, the accused created a false sense of urgency and induced victims to install remote access software such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk.
5. Once access was gained, the accused extracted sensitive personal and financial data, including online banking credentials.
6. Victims were then induced to transfer funds via wire transfers under the false pretext that the money was being secured by the Federal Reserve to prevent hacking.

Money Laundering Trail

1. The Proceeds of Crime were:
2. Wire-transferred to bank accounts in Hong Kong
3. Converted into cryptocurrencies
4. Liquidated into fiat currency
5. Layered back into India through shell companies and multiple banking channels
6. The investigation has revealed that between November 2022 and April 2024, victims were cheated of approximately USD 15 million.
7. Assets worth over ₹100 crore, acquired from the Proceeds of Crime by the masterminds of the scam, have been identified.

Searches and Seizures

1. ED conducted search operations at 10 locations across Delhi-NCR on 19 and 20 December 2025.
2. The searches resulted in the seizure of:
3. Jewellery worth approximately ₹1.75 crore
4. Cash exceeding ₹10 lakh
5. Four high-end vehicles
6. Eight luxury watches
7. Digital devices and incriminating documents
8. Over 220 bottles of expensive liquor, far exceeding the permissible residential limit, were also recovered.
9. The matter was reported to the State Excise Department, and FIRs were registered as per law.
10. Earlier searches conducted on 20 August 2025 had also led to the seizure of incriminating materials and luxury assets, including investments in high-value immovable properties.

Absconding Accused

1. Key accused Arjun Gulati, Abhinav Kalra, and Divyansh Goel are currently absconding.

Status of Investigation

1. Further investigation in the case is under progress.