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IRS Scam Ringleader Arrested

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(WAAY) - The suspected ringleader in a scam involving fake Internal Revenue Service phone calls was arrested.

Authorities say Sagar Thakkar was nabbed in Mumbai, India on Saturday. Investigators say the scheme involved people from bogus call centers in India posing as IRS agents.

They told U.S. taxpayers that they owed back taxes and they could be arrested or deported if they did not pay up.

Nearly 15,000 Americans fell for the scheme, but it started unraveling in October.

Thakkar is facing extortion and other charges, while hundreds of other suspects in both the U.S. and India are also facing prosecution.