In a major crackdown, a fraudulent call centre operating for nearly six months from inside a building housing multiple Haryana government offices was busted. The centre, located on the first floor of DHL Square in IT Park, Sector 22, was discovered in a joint operation by the Chandimandir police station, the crime branch, and cybercrime police.
The call centre was situated on the same floor as the Haryana State Law Commission and Haryana Gau Seva Commission offices. Several other government departments, including the Mining and Geology Department and the Haryana Skill Development Board, also occupy the upper floors of the building. The presence of senior IAS and HCS officers and frequent police visits to the building for government work did not deter the fraudulent operation, which targeted foreign nationals.
Police have arrested three individuals and frozen their bank accounts to trace the money trail. One of the arrested has been identified as the owner of one of the call centres. The accused are booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. According to the FIR, they operated without a licence, cheating US citizens by offering fake technical support and receiving payments through gift cards and Bitcoin. One accused has been remanded for eight days, and two others for three days for further questioning.
The call centre employees, many of whom were from Manipur, would work from 5 pm to 3 am, posing as customer service for companies like Spectrum, OTT, Xfinity, and CenturyLink. They would trick US citizens into paying between $100 and $500 for bogus technical assistance. Most of the detainees claimed they were simply looking for employment and were unaware of the fraudulent activities.
{{/usCountry}}The call centre employees, many of whom were from Manipur, would work from 5 pm to 3 am, posing as customer service for companies like Spectrum, OTT, Xfinity, and CenturyLink. They would trick US citizens into paying between $100 and $500 for bogus technical assistance. Most of the detainees claimed they were simply looking for employment and were unaware of the fraudulent activities.
{{/usCountry}}The investigation is ongoing, and police commissioner Sibash Kabiraj has stated that strict action will be taken if any police connivance is uncovered. Police are also now scrutinising all call centres in the IT Park, which is estimated to have 18 buildings, to identify any other fraudulent operations.