Maharashtra: CBI busts illegal call centre in Igatpuri

Mumbai: In a major swoop, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted an illegal call centre in the popular hill station of Igatpuri in the Nashik district of Maharashtra which was making phishing calls/deceptive calls and cheating citizens of United Safes, Canada and other countries.

The crime has international ramifications - and detailed investigations were in progress.

So far, the CBI has arrested five persons.

According to investigations by the CBI, the illegal call centre was being operated from the Rainforest Resort in Igatpuri.

It was alleged in the FIR that the accused persons entered into criminal conspiracy with each other and other unknown persons, and have committed financial fraud by impersonation and making phishing calls/deceptive calls, from an illegal call centre, posing as Amazon Support Services Call Centre.

The accused persons have been cheating citizens of US, Canada and other countries and fraudulently obtaining proceeds of crime via gift cards/cryptocurrency.

The accused persons have recruited around 60 operators consisting of diallers, verifiers and closers for running the illegal call centre, CBI officials said on Sunday.

The investigation by the CBI has resulted in recovery of 44 laptops and 71 mobile phones and other incriminating digital evidence as well as recovery of unaccounted cash of Rs.1.20 crores, 500 gms gold and seven luxury cars worth Rs 1 crore.

Transactions of approximately 5000 USDT cryptocurrency (Rs.5 lakhs) and 2000 Canadian Dollar worth gift vouchers (Rs.1.26 lakhs) were detected.

During the searches, 62 employees working in the call centre were found operating live and the process of cheating foreign nationals was underway.