Police in the western Indian city of Thane have arrested more than 750 people suspected of defrauding US citizens from a fake call centre.
Officers say the suspects obtained lists of US tax defaulters and used threats to obtain their bank details.
The scam is said to have netted more than $150,000 (£118,000) a day, making it one of the biggest frauds in India’s history.
Thane police officials said they were contacting the FBI to ask for help.
Some 70 of those detained were formally arrested, police said, with the rest released pending further inquiries. Nine people believed to have led the scam have been identified.
The scammers pretended to be members of the US Internal Revenue Service, and told victims they owed back taxes.
In some cases, the victims were duped into buying gift vouchers from different companies and bullied into revealing voucher ID numbers, police said.
The scammers then made purchases with the voucher numbers.
Police say those involved in the scam at the Indian end retained 70% of the earnings, with 30% going to their US collaborators.
Paramvir Singh, the police commissioner of Thane, told reporters that 851 hard disks, high-end servers, and other electronic equipment had been seized.
Mr Singh said overnight raids on Wednesday had lasted well into the morning, and involved more than 200 policemen who had raided buildings in three locations in the city.
Thane police superintendent Mahesh Patil told BBC Hindi that the investigation could open up cases from other countries as well.
- Covid-19. TASK FORCE CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT HAS 30 DAYS TO DEFINE VACCINATION PLAN FOR PORTUGAL
- Technology is fundamental for decision support and to create resiliant communities against fires
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- GNR AND PSP LAUNCH ALERT CAMPAIGN ON TUESDAY TO REDUCE PEDESTRIAN ROAD ACCIDENTS
- Address to the Nation by the Prime Minister – State of Emergency measures
- GOVERNMENT TO ANNOUNCE NEW MEASURES TO COMBAT THE PANDEMIC AT 1800 hrs
- Portugal is prepared to buy around 16 million doses of three vaccines against covid-19
- Covid-19: Study reveals that only 25% of Population keep recommended distance
- Matters raised by experts at Infarmed meeting on 10th November
- FROM NORTH TO SOUTH: ALMOST DESERTED STREETS ON FIRST SATURDAY WITH A 1300 HRS CURFEW
- The Prime Minister spoke out at the end of a Council of Ministers that lasted over eight hours.
- State of Emergency – Measures announced by Prime Minister
- Elderly people in isolation situations referenced by GNR rises to over 42 thousand
- Covid-19: Marcelo asks to avoid “an aggravated December” with “more drastic restrictions”
- Explanatory note to State of Emergency
