The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Vadodara police on Sunday dismantled a fraudulent call centre operating from the Race Course area, leading to the arrest of four individuals accused of duping foreign nationals with fake loan approvals and extorting money from them.
Raids and Arrests
Acting on a tip-off, LCB officials conducted a raid on an apartment in the vicinity and discovered the four suspects running the illegal operation using laptops, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. The arrested individuals have been identified as Karan Lokwani (32), Jonathon Das (32), Pankaj Jethwani (40), and Alerasul Saiyad (34), all residents of Vadodara.
Modus Operandi
According to police, the gang specifically targeted citizens from various countries by making phone calls and falsely informing them that their loan applications had been approved. The victims were then instructed to share their debit card details, including CVV numbers, and transfer amounts ranging from $150 to $200 as processing or service fees.
Investigators revealed that the accused used the obtained information to collect money, part of which was allegedly converted into cryptocurrency before being routed to Indian bank accounts. The gang procured contact details of foreign citizens from the dark web, which they used to identify potential victims.
Background of Accused
Police officials noted that the accused appeared to be well-educated and fluent in English. Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the accused had expertise in the stock market, while another had prior experience working in a call centre. The gang had been operating the fake call centre for the past two months with the intention of making quick money.
Investigation and Legal Action
During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to their involvement in the scam. Police are now scrutinizing bank records, cryptocurrency transactions, and digital devices seized during the raid to determine the total amount of money siphoned off through this fraud. A case of cheating and other relevant offences has been registered against the four accused at Akota police station. Investigators are also trying to ascertain whether more individuals were involved in the racket.
Inspired by a Web Series
Police said the accused told investigators that they were inspired to start the bogus call centre after watching a web series based on a similar fraud racket. During questioning, they revealed that they had watched a web series depicting a call centre scam and claimed to have learnt the modus operandi of targeting victims over phone calls and the process of converting the proceeds into cryptocurrency from the show.
