The Faridabad police Tuesday arrested 11 women and a man allegedly involved in a fake call centre operation that defrauded victims of at least Rs 35 lakh across multiple states by pretending to provide credit card services.
The accused, at least nine in their 20s, were caught from the call centre operating at Janakpuri West in Delhi since March 2024, said the Faridabad cybercrime police, who also seized 15 mobile phones and 12 other electronic devices.
The case came to light following the registration of a complaint lodged by a 29-year-old resident of Shyam Colony, Ballabhgarh, near Faridabad, on March 12. The complainant, a purchase engineer, claimed he received a call from an unknown number on March 4.
The caller allegedly posed as a bank employee and offered to increase the credit limit on the complainant’s credit card. As per the complaint, the caller tricked him into sharing the full credit card number and a one-time password (OTP).
The complainant claimed that subsequently, Rs 49,712 was withdrawn from his account, and the accused disconnected the call when he dialled back. On March 5, the same person who impersonated a bank employee allegedly contacted the complainant again and swindled him out of Rs 33,825 more.
At least 72 other complaints across various states have been reported against the accused, said the police, adding that they also allegedly lured victims under the guise of providing health insurance and reward points.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sakshi Negi, 28, a resident of South West Delhi; Deepika, 26, from Patel Nagar, Delhi; Babita, 30, from Kailashpuri, Delhi; Samra, 22, from Uttam Nagar, Delhi; Priya Mehra, 26, from Rajouri Garden, Delhi; Komal, 23, from Binda Pur, East Delhi; Jyoti Bharti, 25, from Karol Bagh, Delhi; Amisa, 22, from Patel Nagar, Delhi; Sonam Kaur, 29, from Paschim Vihar, Delhi; Santgarh; Parmeet Kaur; Chanchal from Arharia, Bihar; and Abdul Wahid, 26, from Nangloi, Delhi.
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The police invoked Section 318(4) [punishment for dishonesty inducing delivery of property] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused.
During interrogation, it was revealed that the mastermind behind the fake call centre was one Khushhal, a resident of Purnia in Bihar. Khushhal allegedly paid the accused a monthly salary of Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000, besides incentives. Investigating officer (IO) Naresh Kumar expressed confidence that he would be caught very soon.
The police said Abdul Wahid and Chanchal were managing the operation at the time of the arrests. The accused were produced before a court Tuesday, where Abdul Wahid and Chanchal were remanded in five days of police custody for further questioning, while the others were sent to judicial custody.
The police are awaiting additional information from the analysis of evidence conducted by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, which is expected to arrive by Thursday morning. The custody of the accused will be sought to be increased accordingly.
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When asked whether the accused were trapped in the racket or unaware of it while applying, Kumar told The Indian Express that the magistrate had asked them the same question.
“They told the judge they knew what they were getting into but were just about to leave it. Of course, that is a fake story that all accused tell. When you say to victims that you work for HDFC Bank or Bank of India, of course, you are willingly part of the fraud,” Kumar said, adding that there are likely several other such call centres in Delhi.
Kumar said he had met the parents of at least three of the accused. “They told us that they thought their child worked in a bank, but revealed that they were never shown any job (appointment) letters,” he said.