5 Indians, 2 American businessmen: Inside the Indian call center operation shut down by FBI over fraud

The FBI in Boston announced it has shut down a call center operation in India after uncovering a major crime involving U.S. perpetrators. The call center business defrauded hundreds of elderly victims in the United States and elsewhere out of millions of dollars through tech support scams. The FBI investigation alleges that two executives from the United States were involved in the incident and, in fact, enabled it by turning a blind eye to widespread fraud.

Who are Adam Young and Harrison Gerwitz? What is a scam?

Adam Young, 42, of Florida, and Harrison Gevirtz, 33, of Las Vegas, operated a business called Ringba, which provided telecommunications-related services, including phone numbers, call routing services, call tracking and call forwarding services, to customers they knew were participating in a tech support fraud scheme. They have now pleaded guilty to felony violations of federal law. They are scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2026.The investigation further revealed that call centers located in India used Young and Gervitz’s operations to route calls for its “tech fraud” program and, in some cases, advise these fraudsters on methods designed to reduce complaints and prevent account terminations.

The Indian part of the scam: Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum, Manish Kumar, Jagmeet Singh Virk

The FBI began investigating telemarketing fraudsters in India in 2020. Indian citizens Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum and Manish Kumar were convicted on charges related to an India-based telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted Americans, many of whom were vulnerable to the fraud schemes due to age or infirmity, and defrauded them of millions of dollars. The fifth person convicted in the same scam was Jagmeet Singh Virk.

beware! Your computer has a virus

According to court documents, from approximately 2016 to 2022, Young, Gevirtz and others knew that some of their customers were participating in a technical support fraud scheme. These programs use deceptive pop-up messages to trick computer users into believing that their computers are infected with viruses or malware. Victims are instructed to call a phone number on a pop-up message or advertisement, which connects the victim to a call center where they are convinced to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary or fictitious technical support services. In some cases, call center agents remotely accessed victims’ computers and obtained personal and financial information.

Young Gewirtz learned of the scam and became part of it

From 2017 to April 2022, after learning of their clients’ fraudulent schemes, Young and Gevirtz failed to report the schemes to law enforcement officials. According to statements filed with the court, the defendants received numerous complaints and inquiries from phone providers and law enforcement about customers engaging in tech support fraud. Despite being aware of these situations, they have provided some customers with advice on techniques that customers can use to avoid complaints from fraud victims and prevent account termination. Young and Gevirtz assisted some of these customers in buying and selling fraudulent calls to each other.From 2016 to April 2022, Young and Gevirtz themselves owned and operated a call center in Tunisia where some of their employees participated in technical support fraud.“What the CEO and chief security officer of this well-known call tracking and analysis company did was downright despicable. By their own admission, they knowingly profited from domestic and international telemarketing and tech support scammers who defrauded the elderly, exploited the vulnerable, and drained their victims of their life savings and peace of mind. Behind every fraud call is a real person who is frightened, humiliated or financially devastated,” said Ted EDocks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.“Tech support scams cost Americans $2.1 billion last year, with Rhode Island residents reporting losses of at least $5.7 million. This is a warning: If you enable and support these criminal networks that target unsuspecting consumers, the FBI will pursue you relentlessly to ensure you are held accountable for the harm you cause,” EDocks said.Court documents further indicate that the two former CEOs directed employees to market the company’s services to customers who were engaging in technical support fraud and sometimes introduced customers who were engaging in fraudulent activity to others who could support their fraudulent business.