People are allegedly being recruited through WhatsApp groups to send money to India before claiming the transfers were unauthorised, putting recipients at risk of frozen accounts and investigation.
A new scam is targeting Indians in the United States by turning ordinary remittances into a fraud loop that can leave families in India exposed to account freezes, investigation and possible criminal charges. According to a report in Telangana Today, people are being approached in community WhatsApp groups and urged to send money home first, only for the sender to later tell a US bank that the transfer was unauthorised and seek a refund.
The report says organisers are allegedly taking a cut of about 30%, while the funds can remain in the recipient’s account in India even after the bank returns the money to the sender. It says younger NRIs, including some in Virginia and Texas who have recently lost jobs or are worried about visas and shrinking savings, are being drawn in by the promise of quick cash. But the arrangement can trigger consequences far beyond the original transfer, because every digital payment leaves a record and banks can trace the flow of funds.
Under federal law in the United States, bank fraud can carry a prison sentence of up to 30 years and a fine of as much as $1 million, according to the text of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. The same legal risk can extend to people in India whose accounts receive the money, because the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s cheating provisions can be invoked where there is evidence of deception. The India Code text shows that liability turns on the facts of each case, rather than on receipt of money alone.
The report quotes Nagarjuna Malempati, founder and chief executive of Seattle-based Xpat Money, as warning that families may not realise they are being used as pass-through accounts for a scheme that could threaten a young worker’s visa, job prospects and future in the US. It also advises anyone approached with such an offer to refuse the transfer, alert their bank and report the matter through India’s cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, which official guidance says can be used to register complaints and seek action on suspicious transactions.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
