‘Fake call center’ scams spreading in India
Several fake call centers have been busted by the Indian police over the last seven to eight months for extorting money from American citizens by posing as US law enforcement officials or private company executives.
In the last two months, more than 300 people have been arrested across Delhi for running at least 10 fake BPO firms and swindlings millions of dollars from US citizens.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Anyesh Roy said that the leaders of these scams are individuals who have also worked on bogus call centers and learned how to run the illegal business.
One of the recently arrested fake call center leaders Chandan Kumar disclosed that he only invested ₹2 lakh (approximately US$2,700) to start the illegal operation.
Further, Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police Karan Goel detailed the scam and said that these fake call centers intimidate people to buy a gift card and share its PIN as a security deposit and payment for not pursuing legal actions. The gift card details are then redeemed by the blockers.
A Delhi police cyber cell officer said that it is difficult to file complaints that could help the investigation as the victims are foreigners. “The scammers are aware of these hurdles the police face and take advantage of the situation,” he added.
