Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 14: A call centre scam based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh targeting US citizens was busted by the police on June 12. Seventy-eight people have been arrested so far, according to police.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Cyber Cell Indore, Jitendra Singh spoke to Eastern Mirror via telephone during which he confirmed the breakthrough. Singh said that altogether 80 employees were apprehended out of which 78 have been arrested including its ring leader, Javed Menon from Ahmedabad.
The SP informed that among the arrested were also youths hailing from Dimapur. He however, couldn’t confirm the number of apprehended youths from Nagaland as investigation is underway.
The SP informed that they had received a tip off about the modus operandi and on investigation found to be functioning from three fake call centres in the Vijay Nagar area of Indore.
Singh revealed that the arrested employees were conversant about the racket and even had a full script prepared before calling the victim. “They were all telecallers claiming to be from law enforcement agencies and duped around 10 lakh. US citizens,” informed Singh.
The SP further stated that the scam was bringing in around 5000-6000 US dollars per month which amounted to at least INR 1 cr. a month in the 25-seated call centres.
Singh revealed that there were four ways through which money was being laundered. “The people that were duped used to transfer money into accounts, gift cards, bit coin and hawala system (middleman/agent),” informed Singh.
He further stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been notified and they have responded as well.
The police recovered 60 computers, 70 cell phones and other confidential data of the US citizens, he informed. The arrested individuals are in judicial remand in Indore.
In another similar incident in December last year, 45 youths from the Northeast were arrested in a major bust of a fake call centre in Noida. Unlike the recent arrest in Indore, a statement from the Naga Students’ Union Delhi (NSUD) claimed that the accused youths were innocent. The job portals had persuaded them into working for the call centers and they were compelled to work under the command of supervisors unaware of their intentions. They earned a meagre amount to sustain a living and support their parents, the statement said.
