# ED Raids Fake Call Center Network Targeting US Citizens Across Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh With 220 Staff Under Lens

> The Enforcement Directorate uncovered an interstate network of operational fake call centers targeting American residents, identifying roughly 220 personnel across Patiala, Pune, and Chandigarh while seizing 66 phones and 13 laptops.

**Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-09-19 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/us-nagarikon-ko-nishana-banane-vale-pharji-kola-sentaron-para-ed-ka-chhapa-patiala-pune-aura-chandigarh-men-220-karmachari-pakare--33971 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Enforcement Directorate, Fake Call Center, Patiala, Pune, Chandigarh, Cyber Fraud, Money Laundering, US Citizens

The Enforcement Directorate's Hyderabad Zonal Office carried out extensive search operations against a syndicated network operating fraudulent call centers aimed at cheating overseas individuals, particularly United States citizens. Undertaken under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the search targeted 4 locations across Patiala, Pune, and Chandigarh. Investigators discovered 3 fully functional call centers actively running at the time of the surprise inspections across Patiala and Pune. Around 220 individuals were actively operating inside these setups, prompting officials to expand their inquiry into the underlying financial channels and chain of command.

## Active Workstations Uncovered in Patiala and Pune
The enforcement agency initiated this coordinated action following targeted ground verifications and intelligence reports revealing an organized syndicate running deceptive operations in tandem across multiple cities. Upon entering the facilities, search teams identified 2 fully active centers in Patiala and 1 in Pune. The premises had been structured like corporate office floors, complete with dedicated cubicles, networked computer stations, advanced headsets, mobile devices, and routing equipment. Approximately 220 employees working across these locations were caught during operational shifts. Officials are currently verifying the formal identities, operational duties, and reporting lines of each person deployed within these facilities.

## Modus Operandi Aimed at Extorting American Citizens
The operations were structured primarily to place international outbound calls to residents across the United States. Callers relied on structured pretexts and fraudulent narratives designed to deceive targets and coerce them into transferring funds. Evidence recovered from the 2 facilities in Patiala established direct links to extortion and systematic fraud against American victims. Digital records extracted from seized mobile phones and a key laptop detailed the operational patterns of the syndicate, including transaction logs showing amounts extracted from various victims.

## Parallels and Connections Between Pune and Patiala Setups
In Pune, investigators documented an identical operational playbook targeting American individuals, reinforcing suspicions of a synchronized interstate racket. Enforcement officials are analyzing the structural ties connecting the facilities in Pune and Patiala. The investigation is examining who oversaw management across both regions, how the centralized calling framework was maintained, and which specific routes were utilized to siphon and transfer the proceeds generated through these deceptive calls.

## Control Hub Uncovered at Chandigarh Residence
In an effort to dismantle the core leadership behind the network, the agency also searched a residential property in Chandigarh. Evidence indicated that key figures controlling and managing the Patiala operations utilized this residence as a command point. Multiple digital storage units and personal electronic devices holding vital administrative data were recovered from the location. Crucially, the search uncovered the identity of an individual responsible for processing and converting extortion proceeds received in US Dollars into Indian Rupees. Enforcement officials are examining this operative's banking footprints and financial dealings.

## Seizure of Electronic Evidence and Money Trail Tracking
The joint searches across all 4 locations yielded a considerable volume of digital and documentary material, including 66 mobile devices, 13 laptops, external hard drives, communication gear, physical currency, and accounting logs. Technical specialists are conducting detailed forensic reviews of these seized assets to reconstruct the operational workflow. Investigators are focusing on extracting the precise call scripts used to intimidate victims, along with identifying the automated dialers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) frameworks deployed to contact overseas numbers. The probe is tracing lead-generation channels, payment rails, and the laundering pipeline to determine how criminal proceeds flowed through the syndicate.

## What this means for you
This enforcement action highlights heightened regulatory crackdowns on illegal cross-border syndicates and cross-border financial crimes.

- **Across India:** Law enforcement and financial intelligence units will intensify background scrutiny on unregistered business process operations and outbound calling setups. Job seekers across the country must exercise caution and conduct due diligence before accepting roles in unverified telecalling firms.
- **In Patiala and Pune:** Commercial property owners and shared workspace operators in these cities will face stricter protocols regarding tenant verification and lease monitoring. Local administrative authorities are likely to ramp up compliance checks on IT facilities and commercial spaces hosting large-scale computing equipment.
- **Digital Security:** Regulatory focus on VoIP dialers and unauthorized international routing channels will push service providers to adopt tighter safeguards. Ordinary digital users benefit from increased awareness against impersonation scams originating from illicit outbound centers.
- **Financial Channels:** The crackdown exposes illicit conduits used to convert foreign currency into local accounts, putting pressure on non-banking remittance channels. Commercial banks will strengthen tracking for unusual transaction volumes tied to personal or shell corporate accounts linked to telemarketing setups.

## Why this happened
The search operations were initiated following intelligence confirming that organized syndicates were utilizing Indian urban centers to orchestrate international financial frauds.

- **Immediate Cause:** Field verifications and intelligence gathered by the Hyderabad Zonal Office established active operations of illicit outbound facilities defrauding foreign nationals. This substantiated intelligence warranted search operations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
- **Operational Mechanism:** The syndicate established dense corporate-style call centers utilizing VoIP telephony, computerized workstations, and specialized scripts to systematically manipulate American citizens. These digital tools enabled callers to execute extortion and deception campaigns at scale.
- **Laundering Infrastructure:** Financial proceeds secured in foreign currency required local processing, which led the operators to set up currency-conversion links and administrative bases in places like Chandigarh. The necessity to trace the cross-border conversion of US Dollars into Indian currency made money laundering provisions directly applicable.
- **Subsequent Procedures:** Authorities are conducting forensic examinations of 66 mobile devices, 13 laptops, and recovered communication logs to establish the full chain of command, technical dialer configurations, and the ultimate recipients of the illicit funds.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Which cities were searched during this operation by the Enforcement Directorate?
The Hyderabad Zonal team of the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches across 4 premises located in Patiala, Pune, and Chandigarh.

### 2. How many fake call centers were found actively operating during the raid?
A total of 3 operational centers were found active at the time of the search, including 2 in Patiala and 1 in Pune.

### 3. How many staff members were discovered working inside these premises?
Approximately 220 individuals were found deployed across workstations, and their specific roles and reporting lines are being investigated.

### 4. Who was targeted by the syndicate operating these centers?
The centers primarily targeted United States residents through deceptive outbound calls to manipulate and extort money from them.

### 5. What electronic devices and materials were seized during the action?
Investigators seized 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard drives, specialized communication gear, cash, and relevant records.

### 6. What details emerged from the residential location searched in Chandigarh?
The Chandigarh premises served as an administrative base for the syndicate's controllers, revealing data and an operative converting US Dollars into Indian Rupees.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._