Surat call centre with Facebook ID ‘Ranga Reddy’ defrauds over 300 people

The Athwalines police busted a call centre extorting funds from people using a fake Facebook ID named ‘Ranga Reddy’ in Surat.

Based on a tip-off, the Athwalines police raided offices no 405 and 406 in B-wing, Maher Park, opposite Vanita Vishram Ground, Athwa Gate in Surat. 

The Facebook ID 'Ranga Reddy' posted advertisements for personal and business loans.

The police apprehended the call centre owner, Viren Barne, along with Rahul Baviskar, Ashish Patil, Rutuja Patil, and Pooja Rathod, who were employed at the call centre on salary and commission. 

During the interrogation, - Barne confessed that after people saw the advertisements for personal and business loans posted on the Facebook ID, theyuploaded their mail ID, contact details and other data on the page.

With the help of a website named winpayauthentication.com/payworld, an OTP was sent to the customers. 

After obtaining this OTP, all the necessary information was forwarded to the office manager, Ravindra Saluja. Saluja, after checking all the information, sent it to Satinder Pal, the owner of the main call centre located in Mumbai. 

He would contact the customers, ask them to maintain the required balance in their bank accounts, obtain the OTP, withdraw the money, and thus commit fraud under the pretext of loans. 

After this confession, the police declared Ravindra Saluja and Satinder Pal as wanted and seized a total of ₹1.43 lakh worth of goods, including 13 mobile phones, 4 laptops, and a Wi-Fi router.

Over 300 people defrauded

During Barne’s interrogation, it has come to light that he has so far sent the data of more than 600 people to Satindar Pal in Mumbai via the Piplod office. Out of these, he has confessed to luring approximately 300 people with the promise of loans and has so far defrauded them of more than ₹4.5 lakh.

Barne used to share a 5% commission with the Mumbai-based Pal and paid 15,000 salary along with a 1.50% commission to each at the Surat call centre.