India’s  financial crime agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has uncovered a network of illicit call centres operating in Patiala, Chandigarh, and Pune that were allegedly extorting money from American citizens.

The midnight operations, led by ED teams from the Hyderabad zonal office, targeted four locations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Officials reported finding three active fake call centres — two in Patiala and one in Pune — employing roughly 220 people.

Investigators said the scam involved coercing victims through false pretexts and intimidation tactics to extract payments via gift cards, cash, and other electronic methods. The agency is currently evaluating the individual roles of the workers present during the raids as the investigation into the broader syndicate continues.