US federal authorities are hunting four Pakistani nationals accused of operating a call center inside Pakistan to steal Medicare data and generate $703 million in fraudulent claims against the US healthcare system.
The HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the investigative arm of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for combating fraud, waste and abuse in federal health programs, identified the four fugitives as Fizza Farid, the only woman among the accused, Faizan Saleem, Shearyar Arif and Ruknuddin “Rick” Charolia, saying they may be hiding in Pakistan or the United Arab Emirates.
According to HHS-OIG, the four allegedly used a call center operated under the name Hello International Marketing Solutions (HIMS) to obtain Medicare beneficiary information, including identification numbers, through theft and deception.
Farid allegedly worked for HIMS and served as a nominee owner of a durable medical equipment provider, HHS-OIG says, and she is believed to have fled the United States for Pakistan in late April 2025.
Charolia is alleged to have operated HIMS alongside Aamir Ali Arif. Saleem, Shearyar Arif, and the other defendants are accused of roles including distributing Medicare beneficiary data and recruiting nominee owners.
Hundreds of millions generated in fraudulent scheme
The stolen information was then allegedly used in a scheme that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicare claims.
According to HHS-OIG, the fugitives allegedly participated in a scheme to obtain Medicare beneficiary identification numbers, resulting in approximately $703 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
The case stems from the US Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois allege that the defendants and their associates caused $703,834,742 in false and fraudulent claims to be submitted for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits, durable medical equipment, and genetic tests that beneficiaries had not requested, received, or consented to receive. Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans paid approximately $418.6 million on those claims.
Prosecutors allege that HIMS, the Pakistan-based call center, obtained the sensitive Medicare beneficiary information through hacking, scraping publicly accessible websites, as well as deceptive websites that falsely advertised free healthcare products.
The information was allegedly sold or distributed to US-based durable medical equipment providers and laboratories, including entities allegedly controlled through nominee owners, which then submitted fraudulent claims.
AI used to fabricate audio consent
Authorities further allege that HIMS used artificial intelligence to fabricate audio recordings purporting to show Medicare beneficiaries consenting to receive COVID-19 test kits.
Prosecutors say the defendants also conspired to launder the proceeds through US bank accounts and transfer funds overseas to conceal their source, location, and control. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from related bank accounts.
An Islamabad-based intelligence source told The Media Line that following the US federal authorities’ disclosure about the four Pakistani nationals accused of involvement in the Medicare fraud scheme, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency, have been directed to investigate the matter on a priority basis and to apprehend the suspects immediately if they are found in the country.
The agencies have also been instructed to identify and pursue other individuals allegedly involved in the scheme, with authorities concerned that the case could further damage Pakistan’s international reputation. The intelligence agencies have additionally been directed to seek assistance from Interpol in locating and apprehending the suspects.
