The Empire Calls Back

India’s phone scam industry targets the elderly to the tune of billions each year. Its secret weapon? The loss of communal public life and family support.

Illustration by Max Guther

The financial barrier to starting an Indian “call center” is not very high. For $15,000, an experienced franchiser can help you find a suitable floor in a black-glass office building, wire it with dozens of computer stations, and train a fleet of ambitious, English-speaking graduates to perform telecom fraud. You can usually recoup your investment […]

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