Fake Call Centre Targeting US Citizens Busted In Ahmedabad, 7 Arrested In Loan Settlement Fraud
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A fake call centre allegedly targeting US citizens with fraudulent loan settlement offers has been busted in Ahmedabad’s Naroda area, with seven people, including two women, arrested in the case. Police said the operation had been running from Sahitya Arcade in Hanspura for around three months.
Naroda Police Raid Call Centre
Acting on a tip-off, Naroda police raided Shop No. 112 on the first floor of Sahitya Arcade and arrested the seven accused.
According to the investigation, the accused allegedly posed as lawyers representing different US banks and contacted American citizens with offers to settle their outstanding loans at reduced amounts.
Police said the accused had obtained lead data related to the bank accounts of US citizens and provided it to employees working at the call centre. The employees allegedly followed prepared scripts while speaking to potential victims and used a foreign accent to appear credible.
Victims Allegedly Tricked Into Sharing Card Details
After establishing contact with the victims, the accused allegedly gained their trust and obtained their credit card details under the pretext of processing loan settlements.
The information was then allegedly shared with payment handlers through WhatsApp and Telegram. Police said these handlers used the card details to withdraw money from the victims’ accounts.
The investigation also found that some of the money allegedly obtained through the fraud was received in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Fraud Money Converted Through Crypto And Hawala
According to police, the cryptocurrency was later converted into Indian currency through Telegram groups. The money was allegedly collected in cash through hawala and angadia channels.
During the raid, police seized laptops, mobile phones, routers and other items believed to have been used in the operation.
The accused have been identified as Jigesh Zalahar, Devang Sapkal, Sushil Tomar, Dev Vaishnav, Imtihehen Sang Charmyard, Pritiben Patel and Vaishali Vedhani.
Police are continuing their investigation to identify the source of the lead data and determine whether more people were involved in the alleged fraud network.
How The Alleged Network Operated
- Target Data: Banking-related data of US citizens was allegedly used to identify potential victims.
- Fake Bank Representatives: Employees allegedly posed as legal advisers representing US banks and followed prepared scripts while speaking to victims.
- Payment Trail: The allegedly defrauded money was routed through cryptocurrency and later converted and collected through hawala and angadia channels.
