Pakistani Nationals Charged in Major US Medicare Fraud Cases
The U.S. federal government has charged several Pakistani nationals in connection with major healthcare fraud schemes targeting the U.S. Medicare system, with some cases involving alleged operations run through call centers in Pakistan.
The largest case involves four Pakistani nationals whom U.S. authorities are seeking in connection with an alleged $703 million Medicare fraud scheme. The suspects—Fizza Farid, Faizan Saleem, Shearyar Arif and Ruknuddin “Rick” Charolia—are accused of operating a fraudulent call center in Pakistan called Hello International Marketing Solutions (HIMS).
According to U.S. authorities, the group allegedly obtained Medicare beneficiaries’ personal information through hacking, data scraping and deceptive websites. They then used the information to submit fraudulent claims for COVID-19 test kits, genetic tests and medical equipment that beneficiaries had neither requested nor received.
The alleged scheme resulted in about $703 million in fraudulent claims, of which the U.S. government reportedly paid approximately $418.6 million before the operation was uncovered. The four suspects are believed to be hiding in Pakistan or the United Arab Emirates.
In a separate case, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Pakistani nationals Burhan Mirza and Kashif Iqbal in February 2026 over an alleged $10 million healthcare fraud scheme. Prosecutors accused them of using medical laboratories and medical equipment companies to submit false Medicare bills for services that were never provided. Iqbal is also accused of laundering the proceeds and transferring some of the money to Pakistan.
Other Pakistani nationals have also faced charges in similar cases. In March 2026, Jahangeer Ali, a Pakistani citizen living in Southern California, was arrested for allegedly submitting more than $46 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage insurance plans for laboratory tests that were never performed.
In another earlier case, Farrukh Ali was arrested in connection with a federal healthcare fraud investigation involving drug rehabilitation clinics in Arizona. He was accused of helping submit millions of dollars in fraudulent medical bills.
The cases highlight growing U.S. efforts to crack down on organized healthcare fraud and recover billions of dollars allegedly obtained through false Medicare and insurance claims. .. (from the internet) 09 Sep 2026