Toronto, Oct 19 (IANS): Canadian police are yet to arrest a 22-year-old Indian man for his role in Indian call centre scams targeting Canada.
The investigation has brought to light the involvement of international students on study visa here in these scams.
It is not known whether Naman Grover of Mississauga on the outskirts of Toronto is also an international student in Canada.
A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Grover after he was found to be working as a 'money mule' for call centre scamsters.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the national police force of Canada, suspect he might have fled the country.
Phone scamsters from India have been targeting Canadians by posing as representatives of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), police organisations and tech support agencies. They scare people to pay money or part with their financial/credit card information immediately or face action.
Grover is wanted in connection with the Canada Revenue Agency phone scam, the bank investigator scam, and the tech support scam. He has been charged with fraud, possession of proceeds of crime and laundering proceeds of crime.
Police say call centre scamsters recruit individuals in Canada as 'money mules' to receive money from the victims and then launder it to them.
Grover was uncovered as one of the 'money mules/money mule managers' after a two-year investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Police say the scamsters have even recruited international students on study visas before coming to Canada or while studying here for these scams.
It is estimated that the call centre scamsters defrauded Canadians to the tune of $18 million through the CRA phone scam alone between between 2014 and 2020. If other scams are also included, the total losses to Canadians are over $35 million.
Warning the 'money mules,' RCMP Inspector Jim Ogden said, "Those who get involved as money mules will be arrested, criminally charged and prosecuted. Taking part in the illegal activities of these criminal organisations has other serious consequences; including revocation of student visas."