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Fake call centre targeting Americans: ED seizes gold, silver, cash in multi-city crackdown on Pune-based cyber fraud ring
ED cracks down on Pune-based call center scam, seizing ₹1.18 crore cash and gold, arresting two partners linked to fraud targeting US citizens.
MUMBAI: In a high-voltage crackdown spanning four cities, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday unearthed a sprawling cyber fraud racket linked to a Pune-based fake call centre that allegedly swindled US citizens out of millions of dollars. During raids in Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Jabalpur, the agency seized ₹1.18 crore in cash, 7 kg of gold, 62 kg of silver, and documents linked to immovable assets worth ₹9.2 crore. Digital evidence recovered from the premises revealed a slick scam run by M/s Magnatel BPS Consultants and LLP.
The agency has arrested two key accused — Sanjay More and Ajit Soni, partners in the firm — from Jaipur. The bust is part of an ongoing probe that began with a Pune Cyber Police FIR against eight individuals linked to the call centre.
At the heart of the operation was a fake call centre functioning out of the Pride Icon building in Pune since July 2024. According to ED sources, the accused posed as bank representatives offering phoney loans to unsuspecting Americans. Once they obtained sensitive bank details and credentials, the funds were siphoned off, routed through US-based accomplices, and swiftly converted into cryptocurrency — mainly USDT — stashed away in wallets like Trust Wallet and Exodus.
The money trail didn’t stop there. ED’s investigation revealed that the crypto proceeds were smuggled back into India using informal hawala networks, including angadiyas in Ahmedabad. A portion was rerouted into shell bank accounts under the guise of business operations — for software purchases and office rent — while the lion’s share funded a luxe lifestyle: gold, jewellery, flashy vehicles, and swanky real estate.
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