Two American business executives have pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in providing critical telecommunications infrastructure that allowed India-based call centres to defraud vulnerable US citizens, particularly senior citizens.
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Senior citizens in US duped of 'millions of dollars': FBI shuts down call centre in India
In one lineUS business executives plead guilty for enabling India-based call centres to defraud elderly Americans of millions.Key points• Guilty pleasTwo US business executives admitted to facilitating fraudulent call centres that targeted vulnerable Americans, particularly senior citizens.• Fraudulent operationsScammers used deceptive pop-ups to trick victims into paying for fake technical support, draining millions from unsuspecting individuals.• Role of executivesThe duo provided call routing infrastructure and advised scammers on evading security checks and account terminations.• FBI interventionAn FBI investigation led to the shutdown of an India-based call centre and the conviction of five fraudsters.• Impact on victimsTech support scams cost Americans $2.1 billion in 2023, with elderly victims losing life savings and peace of mind.Key statistics$2.1 billionAnnual losses from tech support scams in the US$5.7 millionReported losses in Rhode Island alone2016 to 2022Duration of fraudulent operationsProcessed with AI. Reviewed by DH Digital Team.
Adam Young, 42, of Miami, Florida, and Harrison Gevirtz, 33, of Las Vegas, Nevada, both pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony in the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The two are scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2026.
The two men, who served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of a prominent call tracking and analytics company, admitted to facilitating schemes that drained millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans between 2016 and 2022.
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe revealed that the duo not only facilitated call routing but also actively advised the scammers on bypassing security checks and avoiding account termination.
In a statement, the FBI said it has shut down a call centre operation in India that defrauded hundreds of elderly victims in the US and abroad out of millions of dollars through tech support scams, and two senior executives who operated a business that enabled it have admitted to turning a blind eye to this widespread fraud.
"Two individuals have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their operation of a business that provided services to customers engaged in widespread telemarketing and tech-support fraud schemes targeting victims throughout the United States and abroad."
Arrests and convictions
This came after an FBI Boston investigation that resulted in the arrests and convictions of a former employee of their call routing company and five India-based telemarketing fraudsters.
In the statement, the FBI said: "Two individuals have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their operation of a business that provided services to customers engaged in widespread telemarketing and tech-support fraud schemes targeting victims throughout the United States and abroad."
The statement explained, "Young and Gevirtz pleaded guilty after an investigation beginning in 2020 that led to the conviction of five India-based telemarketing fraudsters and a former employee of their call routing company. Indian citizens Sahil Narang, Chirag Sachdeva, Abrar Anjum and Manish Kumar were convicted of charges related to telemarketing fraud schemes based in the Republic of India that targeted and defrauded Americans of millions of dollars, many of them vulnerable to fraud schemes due to age or infirmity. The investigation also contributed to the conviction of another individual, Jagmeet Singh Virk, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The investigation further revealed that call centres based in India utilised Young and Gervitz's business to route their 'tech fraud' scheme calls and, in some instances, advised those fraudsters on methods intended to reduce complaints and prevent account terminations."
How they operated
According to federal prosecutors and court documents, the multi-million-dollar scam relied heavily on the services provided by Young and Gevirtz. The fraud typically began with deceptive pop-up messages flashing on victims' computer screens, falsely claiming the devices were infected with severe viruses or malware.
Victims were directed to call a phone number displayed in the pop-up message or advertisement, which connected them to call centres, where they were persuaded to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary or fictitious technical-support services. In some instances, call centre agents remotely accessed victims' computers and obtained personal and financial data.
"What the CEO and CSO of this well-known call tracking and analytics company did was downright despicable. By their own admission, they willfully profited from telemarketing and tech support scammers, here (in the US) and abroad, who preyed on the elderly, exploited the vulnerable, and drained victims of their life savings and peace of mind. Behind every fraudulent call was a real person left frightened, humiliated, or financially shattered," Ted E Docks, Special Agent in charge of the FBI's Boston Division, said.
"Tech support scams cost Americans $2.1 billion last year, and Rhode Islanders reported losing at least $5.7 million. Let this be a warning: if you fuel and support these criminal networks that prey on unsuspecting consumers, the FBI will pursue you relentlessly to ensure you're held accountable for the harm you helped inflict."