Fake call centre duping US, Canada citizens busted in Gurugram

Gurugram, March 26 (IANS) A team from the chief minister's flying squad, DLF Phase-2 police station and cyber crime police busted a fake call centre and arrested 24 people, including 10 women and the owner, during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

According to police, the call centre operating from a ground floor of a house in DLF Phase-2, used to cheat the US and Canadian citizens in the name of tech support and charge $500 to $1,000 as service charge, via gift card.

The employees of the alleged call centre would call the victims posing as officials of Canada Border Service Agent, Financial Crime Unit Bureau of Narcotics and Canadian Intelligence Service and accuse them of being involved in drugs peddling and money laundering cases and charge money from them.

The accused had also paid Rs 1.50 lakh per month as floor rent for four months.

Police have recovered Rs 2.50 lakh in cash, two CPU and as many mobile phones from the spot.

The owner of the call centre identified as Umesh Yadav, a resident of Kosli in Rewari district, was also arrested.

According to police, a team from the flying squad, DLF Phase-2 police station and Cyber Crime police led by DSP Inderjeet Singh Yadav of CM flying wing and ACP, DLF Sanjeev Balhara raided the call centre following a tip-off.

There they spotted 14 boys and 10 girls who were communicating with the American nation in the English language (American accent).

"The employees were employed at the call centres, which were being operated without permission. Also, the centre did not have any license issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DOT)," Yadav said.

During questioning, the accused owner revealed that they used to communicate with US and Canadian citizens to provide tech support and sent pop-ups and used to charge nearly $ 500 to $ 1,000 per client as service charge," he added.

"The accused owner disclosed that earlier he has worked in a Delhi based call centre for two years as a supervisor and to earn quick money he had started his call centre. The accused also revealed that he was in touch with a supervisor of a US-based WhatsApp group who used to provide a list of US citizens and charge 25% commission of the total amount and after taking his commission the remaining amount was transferred to him through his manager Kanwar Singh," the DSP said.

An FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including the IT Act, has been registered at the DLF Phase-2 police station for further investigation.