Call Center Scams: A Global Menace Exploiting Trust

Call center scams have become a widespread global danger, resulting in billions in losses for victims each year and taking advantage of trust through advanced social engineering methods. These deceptive operations frequently pose as genuine customer service or tech support, aiming at individuals globally, especially at-risk groups such as the elderly.

Today, we will examine how call center scams operate, their international scope, and ways to fight against them, referencing reliable reports from different areas.

The Mechanics of Call Center Scams

Call center scams typically involve fraudsters impersonating representatives of trusted entities—banks, government agencies, or tech companies like Microsoft or Amazon. They use tactics such as robocalls, fake pop-up ads, or spoofed caller IDs to deceive victims into believing they’re interacting with legitimate organizations. Common scams include:

• Tech Support Scams: Scammers claim a victim’s computer is infected with malware, offering to “fix” it for a fee or by gaining remote access to steal data. A 2021 Microsoft survey found that 60% of consumers across 16 countries had encountered such scams in the past year, with victims losing an average of $200.
• Impersonation Scams: Fraudsters pose as government officials (e.g., IRS or Social Security agents) or law enforcement, threatening arrest or fines unless victims pay immediately via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported $2.6 billion in losses to imposter scams in 2023.
• Investment Scams: Callers lure victims with promises of high returns on fake investments, often using fake celebrity endorsements. The “Scam Empire” investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed two call center operations defrauding 32,934 victims of $275 million across 33 countries.

These scams rely on psychological manipulation, exploiting fear or urgency to bypass victims’ skepticism. For example, in India, scammers locked victims’ computers using tools like syskey, demanding payment to restore access.

Global Reach of Call Center Scams

While India has been a focal point due to its large call center industry, scams are a worldwide issue. A 2017 study traced 85% of tech support scam IPs to India, but operations have since spread to countries like Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, Brazil, and Georgia.

• India: The FBI reported that Indian call centers scammed U.S. citizens out of $10.2 billion in the first 11 months of 2022, a 47% increase from 2021. These operations often impersonate tech support or government agencies, targeting seniors.
• Georgia: A Tbilisi-based call center, exposed in March 2025, defrauded 6,100 victims of $35.3 million since May 2022. Scammers openly called themselves “skameri” and flaunted wealth on social media.
• Eastern Europe: In Ukraine, hundreds of call centers target European residents, previously focusing on Russian pensioners. In Latvia and Lithuania, a 2025 Europol raid shut down three call centers netting £3 million monthly through fake investment schemes.
• Ecuador: In Quito, police dismantled a call center in June 2025 that scammed victims with fake loans, holding a database of 58,000 potential targets.
• Cambodia: Reports estimate scam call centers generate $19 billion annually, nearly 60% of the country’s GDP, highlighting the industrial scale of operations in Southeast Asia.

The United Nations notes that crackdowns in East Asia have pushed organized crime groups to regions like South America, Africa, and the Middle East, where oversight is weaker.

Why Scams Thrive

Scam call centers exploit several factors:

• Legitimate Facades: Many operate under the guise of registered businesses, blending genuine services (e.g., hotel reservations) with fraud to evade detection.
• Data Availability: Massive data breaches and dark web marketplaces provide scammers with personal information, undermining traditional security like knowledge-based authentication.
• Technological Sophistication: Spoofed caller IDs, AI-generated voices, and remote access tools like AnyDesk make scams harder to trace.
• Lax Regulation: In some countries, scammers exploit government incentives for tech exporters, gaining tax breaks and legitimacy.

Combating Call Center Scams

Efforts to curb scams involve technology, law enforcement, and consumer education:

• Technology: AI-driven voice biometrics, like Veridas’s solutions, can detect known scammer voices and flag suspicious patterns in real time. Telecom providers are adopting STIR/SHAKEN protocols to block spoofed calls.
• Law Enforcement: International collaboration is growing. In 2023, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, tipped by Microsoft and Amazon, raided 76 scam call centers across five states. The U.S. indicted multiple Indian call centers in 2022 for conspiring with VoIP providers to defraud Americans.
• Consumer Awareness: The FTC advises hanging up on suspicious calls, verifying companies independently, and avoiding payments via gift cards or cryptocurrency. Reporting scams to authorities like the FTC or Action Fraud (UK) helps track perpetrators.

Protecting Yourself

To avoid falling victim:

• Verify Calls: If a call seems suspicious, hang up and contact the organization using official contact details.
• Guard Information: Never share personal details like Social Security numbers or bank information over unsolicited calls.
• Report Scams: In the U.S., report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the Do Not Call Registry. In the UK, use Action Fraud (0300 123 2040).
• Use Technology: Register with the National Do Not Call Registry and consider call-blocking apps like Truecaller.

Call center fraud is a worldwide issue, taking advantage of faith and technology to deceive countless victims. Although India continues to be a central location for these activities, their reach is expanding, driven by weak regulations and access to data. Partnerships among technology firms, law enforcement agencies, and the public are essential for breaking up these schemes. By being alert and educated, people can safeguard themselves against this escalating menace.