Five arrested for running fake call centre targeting credit card users

Police said the Delhi-based operation used stolen customer data and fake bank calls to trick victims into sharing details that were later used for online purchases.

The cyber crime police have arrested five people for allegedly operating a fraudulent call centre from Delhi that targeted credit card users and stealing their financial details, police said on Saturday.

The accused allegedly shifted locations every 10-15 days to evade detection. Investigators are now trying to identify and arrest the alleged mastermind. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The arrests were made on Friday in connection with a complaint filed at Cyber Crime south police station on March 11. The complainant alleged he was cheated of around ₹28,000 after clicking on a link sent by a caller claiming to increase his credit card’s limit.

Police identified all the accused as residents of Delhi. They have been charged under sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personification), 336 (forgery), 316 (criminal breach of trust), and 111 (organised crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

According to investigators, the kingpin of the nexus would provide customer database to the employees and they posed as bank representatives while calling the targets. They would send the victims a link on their phone number under the pretext of increasing credit card limits.

Once the victims shared their details, the accused allegedly used the information to make online purchases. These goods were either handed over to the main accused or sold if the value was around ₹5,000– ₹7,000.

Police said the call centre had been operating since January this year. To avoid getting arrested, the group frequently shifted its base every 10 to 15 days and temporarily shut operations for two to three days after carrying out fraud activities. Fresh customer data was allegedly supplied by the mastermind after each cycle.

The accused were produced before a court, and police are seeking custody for further interrogation and recovery of evidence. Police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest the alleged mastermind.