ATLANTA — Almost everyone has received a phone call from some scammer, and many times, those behind the calls go unpunished - but that's not the case for these three people.
Mohit Devendrabhai Sharma, Julliette Belle Carter and Kunal Jagdishbhai Sharma have all been indicted for allegedly scamming U.S. citizens out of money by claiming to be from the IRS, according to U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak.
Authorities said an India-based call center, Skyz International Outsourcing BPO, was also indicted. Carter was arrested in Canada. The others were charged for their alleged involvement.
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Here's how the scam works.
The person would call claiming you owe taxes and fees to the IRS then threaten the potential victims with prosecution or arrest if they did not pay up.
After the victims agreed to pay, the callers would instruct the victims to send the money electronically using banks or money transmitters like MoneyGram.
“IRS phone schemes profit by victimizing United States residents, including vulnerable members of our community,” said Pak. “This indictment and the arrest in Canada demonstrate our commitment to identifying and prosecuting those who perpetuate phone scams on our citizens no matter where the perpetrators are located.”
J. Russell George, the Inspector General for Tax Administration said “since 2013, IRS impersonation scams have been on a relentless path, claiming more than 15,000 victims who have lost upwards of $74 million to the scammers."
Victims, including residents of Georgia, believed the threats and sent money.
The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The indictment also charges Mohit Devendrabhai Sharma and Carter with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
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