FBI Shuts Down Major India-Based Tech Support Fraud Operation
FBI Shuts Down Major India-Based Tech Support Fraud Operation; US Telecom Executives Plead Guilty
FBI Shuts Down Major India-Based Tech Support Fraud Operation; US Telecom Executives Plead Guilty for Enabling Scams
Detailed Investigation Report
In a significant development highlighting the international nature of cyber-enabled fraud, two American executives have pleaded guilty for knowingly providing critical telecommunications infrastructure to large-scale tech support fraud rings operating primarily from call centers in India.
The schemes collectively defrauded hundreds of U.S. citizens, many of them elderly or physically infirm, of millions of dollars.Adam Young, 42, former CEO from Miami, Florida, and Harrison Gevirtz, 33, former Chief Strategy Officer from Las Vegas, Nevada, each pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony (concealment of a felony without reporting it to authorities). They are scheduled for sentencing on June 16, 2026, in federal court.
The Tech Support Fraud Scheme (2016–2022)Tech Support Fraud was one of the most common and lucrative cyber-fraud models during the period from 2016 to 2022.
The typical operation unfolded as follows:Fraudsters deployed deceptive pop-up advertisements on victims’ computers, often through malicious websites, compromised ads, or browser redirects.
These pop-ups falsely claimed that the user’s computer was infected with viruses, malware, or had critical security issues.Some pop-ups triggered a fake “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD), making the computer appear frozen and unusable.
Others impersonated legitimate tech giants such as Microsoft or Apple, displaying official-looking logos and warnings.
The pop-ups prominently displayed a toll-free or premium phone number, urging users to call immediately for “technical assistance.”
Once victims called the number, they were connected to call centers (primarily in India) where aggressive agents took over.
Agents used high-pressure psychological tactics to convince victims to purchase unnecessary or entirely fictitious technical support services, often costing hundreds of dollars.
In many cases, agents requested remote access to the victim’s computer. While connected, they would:Demonstrate fake “viruses” or errors.
Install supposed security software.
In more serious instances, steal personal identification information, banking credentials, and account numbers.
Make unauthorized withdrawals or install persistent malware.
The fraud disproportionately targeted vulnerable populations — senior citizens and individuals with limited technical knowledge.
Role of the US-Based Enablers: C.A. Cloud Attribution, Ltd.Beginning around 2017, Adam Young and Harrison Gevirtz established and operated a Cyprus-registered company called C.A. Cloud Attribution, Ltd. (C.A. Cloud). They marketed telecommunications services under a specific tradename (details redacted in some public filings). The company provided:Telephone numbers (including large pools)
Call routing services
Call forwarding
Call tracking and recording
Related technical infrastructure
This business continued under C.A. Cloud until April 2021, after which it transitioned to a successor corporation still owned and controlled by Young and Gevirtz. The operations ran actively from early 2017 through at least April 2022.Court documents reveal that Young and Gevirtz knew a significant portion of their customer base was engaged in Tech Support Fraud. Despite this knowledge, they did not report the criminal activity to any law enforcement agency or judicial authority in the United States.
Specific Actions That Prolonged the Fraud
The guilty pleas detail several ways in which the executives actively supported and helped conceal the fraudulent operations:Handling Complaints: They received numerous complaints directly from victims and inquiries from telephone number providers and law enforcement. While they terminated some accounts, they continued serving many known fraud operators.
Advice on Evasion Techniques: Young and Gevirtz advised fraudulent customers on methods to reduce complaints and avoid account termination. Key techniques included:Using large pools of telephone numbers on pop-up ads.
Regularly rotating the displayed phone numbers.
These steps helped distribute complaints across many numbers, making it harder for providers to flag and shut down the entire operation.
Technical Restrictions:
They implemented a policy prohibiting certain tech support customers (including fraudsters) from using proprietary JavaScript on their landing pages. This prevented their company’s tradename from appearing in the page source code and reduced exposure to third-party spam or blocking attempts.
Networking Fraud Operators:
On occasion, they introduced customers engaged in Tech Support Fraud to one another for buying and selling call leads/traffic.
Targeted Marketing: Sales associates, under their direction, actively marketed call forwarding and tracking services to businesses they knew were in the technical support space, including those suspected or known to be fraudulent.
Risk Segregation: They separated high-risk Tech Support Fraud customers from legitimate clients and routed the fraudulent ones exclusively to specific telephone number providers known to be tolerant of high-risk or fraudulent traffic.
Additional Operations: Tunisia Call CenterSeparately, from 2016 onward, Young and Gevirtz owned and operated a call center in Tunisia. Some customers and employees of this center were also involved in Tech Support Fraud, including fraudulent remote access to victim computers, impersonating official support, and sending fake invoices.Landmark Investigation and ConvictionsThe FBI investigation, which intensified around 2020, dismantled significant parts of this network. It resulted in the conviction of multiple India-based telemarketing fraudsters:
Sahil Narang
Chirag Sachdeva
Abrar Anjum
Manish Kumar
These individuals ran call centers in India that directly targeted and defrauded American victims.
The probe also contributed to the conviction of Jagmeet Singh Virk in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Additionally, one former employee of Young and Gevirtz’s call routing company was convicted.The investigation clearly established that Indian call centers relied heavily on the telecommunications services provided by C.A. Cloud to route their scam calls into the United States and Europe.
Prosecution Team and InvestigationThe case was prosecuted by a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys:
Milind Shah, Sandra Hebert, Julianne Klein, and Lee Vilker.It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Significance of the CaseThis prosecution underscores the critical role that “enablers” legitimate-looking infrastructure providers — play in sustaining large-scale fraud operations.
By providing phone numbers, routing, and evasion advice, Young and Gevirtz helped fraud rings maintain continuity even after complaints poured in.
Their guilty pleas to misprision of a felony highlight that failing to report known serious crimes, while actively profiting from them, carries serious legal consequences.Hundreds of victims, particularly older Americans, lost life savings or suffered emotional distress due to these scams.
The full financial loss across all related operations is estimated in the millions of dollars.Young and Gevirtz’s sentencing on June 16, 2026, will determine the final penalties, which could include prison time, fines, and restitution orders.
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21 May 2026
