Punjab Police busted two fraudulent call centres, and apprehended their 155 employees in Mohali for purportedly defrauding individuals in the US.
Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, stated that these call centres were operated by kingpins based in Gujarat.
Investigation into the Scam
“Preliminary investigations suggest that these illegitimate call centres were operational during nocturnal hours, with callers employing three distinct modi operandi to deceive foreign nationals into purchasing gift cards from companies such as Apple, Amazon, etc.,” DGP Yadav remarked. He further mentioned that these gift cards were subsequently forwarded to a team manager and redeemed by the kingpins or proprietors of these call centres.
Additional DGP Cyber Crime, V Neeraja, highlighted that intelligence regarding these sham call centres was developed by Inspectors Gaganpreet Singh, Daljit Singh, and their team, with technical support from the Digital Investigation Training and Analysis Centre (DITAC).
Raids at the Call Centres
She disclosed that the police conducted raids on both centres on Tuesday midnight, apprehending all 155 employees engaged as diallers, closers, bankers, and floor managers. ADGP Neeraja informed that 79 desktop computer units, 204 laptops, and assorted accessories, alongside training scripts utilized for customer communication, were confiscated during the raids.
Police Custody & Judicial Custody
Moreover, she asserted that endeavors are in progress to apprehend the two kingpins, who stand accused in the case and are currently at large. ADGP Neeraja further mentioned that out of the 155 detainees, 18 employees were placed in police custody, while the remaining individuals were remanded to judicial custody.
She emphasized that ongoing investigations aim to determine the full extent of the fraud, with expectations of more arrests in the forthcoming days.
