Fake IRS call centre scam: Main accused's sister arrested

Police today arrested Rima Thakkar in connection with a fake call centre scam that was busted in 2016 here in which the accused, posing as United States's Internal Revenue Service officials, allegedly extorted money from US citizens.

Police said that Rima Thakkar is the sister of main accused Sagar Thakkar who was arrested in 2016 in connection with the case and was recently granted bail.

"Rima Thakkar's role in the fake IRS call centre scam was being probed and we finally arrested her today," said senior inspector Nitin Thakre of the Crime Branch.

Thane police PRO Sukhada Narkar said that Thakkar was produced before a court which remanded her in police custody till June 23.

The fake call centre racket was busted on the intervening night of October 4-5, 2016 by the Thane police after raids on several places from where these call centres were being operated.

On April 8, 2017, the main accused, Sagar Thakkar, was arrested at Mumbai airport after he arrived from Dubai.

The scam, which operated since 2013 through about half a dozen call centres in Thane, allegedly targeted at least 15,000 US-based tax payers.

The US Justice Department has charged 61 people and entities linked to the scam where call centre agents impersonated IRS, immigration and other federal officials and demanded payments for non-existent debts.

A US official had earlier said that these fake call centres swindled over USD 300 million from the victims.