Noida police, in a big operation, busted a fake call centre operating out of Sector 2, Noida, and arrested eight people for duping victims off $0.7 million. The accused pretended to work for well-established banks and financial institutions, offering fake promises of easy loans, insurance policy renewals, and attractive investment schemes.
How did this take place?
The call centre was operating from plot A-44 in Sector 2, targeting people from multiple states by getting their details from online local search platforms. "They collected 10-15% of the loan amount upfront as fees, but the promised loans never materialised," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Ram Badan Singh.
A victim was defrauded and lost $0.1 million, police said. The wicked gang targeted people from different states outside Uttar Pradesh, aware of the fact that it would be harder for them to file complaints or pursue legal action due to distance.
"A few days ago, Sector 18's Raghunandan Jewellers filed a complaint alleging that a man named Naresh, who was also a custodian at the shop, had stolen jewellery. During interrogation, Naresh admitted to the crime and told police that he sold the jewellery and invested the money obtained from it. It was while tracing this money that the call centre—Investors'—was busted from Sector 2," said DCP Rambadan Singh.
During the investigation, it was found that the suspects acquired people's phone numbers online or from vendor sites like Justdial and called or sent them WhatsApp messages, posing as representatives of various banks.
Who was involved? How did they operate?
The accused, aged between 25 and 35, were identified as Ganesh Thakur, Prabhash Jha, Manish Kumar Jha, Parvez Alam, Shubham Yadav, Gyanendra, Shabnam, and Aradhana. They belong to West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
The gang used easily available online templates to fabricate documents, including fake RBI and government certifications, to appear legitimate. When refunds were demanded by the victims, they sent fake documents to confuse and mislead them further.
“They exploited the trust of people by presenting convincing fake credentials. It’s a well-organised scam,” said DCP Singh.
Also Read: Four fake Delhi police officers raid ‘fake call centre’, get arrested
What was recovered?
The police seized 17 mobile phones, a CPU, 21 ATM cards, five voter ID cards, six Aadhaar cards, three PAN cards, a driving license, a GST certificate, a registration certificate, a rent agreement, and ₹2,660 in cash from the accused.
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Legal action: What’s next?
The accused have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 316(4) (criminal breach of trust), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), and the IT Act.
Police are investigating to identify more victims and recover their money. “We urge people to verify the authenticity of such offers before making any payments. Our teams are working tirelessly to trace their network and recover the stolen amount,” added DCP Singh.
(With inputs from agencies)