Pune Police have arrested the alleged mastermind behind a sprawling fake call centre racket, following a series of coordinated raids in Navi Mumbai. The operation, which exposed a sophisticated network of fraudsters, highlights the growing menace of fake call centres and the urgent need for heightened cybersecurity vigilance in India.
The busted call centre, based in Pune but with links to Navi Mumbai, targeted unsuspecting citizens across India and abroad. Operators, posing as representatives of reputed banks, tech support, or government agencies, would call victims and trick them into sharing sensitive personal information, OTPs, or making fraudulent payments.
Victims were often threatened with legal action, account suspension, or lucrative offers to coerce them into compliance. The scam netted lakhs of rupees before coming under the police radar.
After weeks of surveillance and digital forensics, Pune Police traced the kingpin to a high-rise apartment in Navi Mumbai. Acting on a tip-off, a special team conducted a swift raid, arresting the mastermind and seizing multiple laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, and forged documents used in the operation.
According to officials, the arrested individual had previously operated similar rackets in other cities and used sophisticated methods to evade detection, including frequent changes of location and the use of encrypted messaging apps.
The crackdown didn’t stop with the mastermind’s arrest. Simultaneous raids were conducted at several locations in Pune and Navi Mumbai, resulting in the detention of multiple suspects and the recovery of incriminating evidence. Police are now interrogating those arrested to uncover the full extent of the scam and identify other members of the syndicate.
Cybercrime experts from the Pune Police’s IT cell are analyzing seized devices to track the flow of stolen funds and gather further leads. Authorities have also appealed to citizens who suspect they may have been targeted by similar scams to come forward and assist with the investigation.
This case is a stark reminder of the rising tide of cyber fraud in India. Fake call centres have become increasingly sophisticated, often targeting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, students, and small business owners. Losses from such scams run into crores annually, prompting law enforcement agencies to step up their efforts.