Fake call centre targeting NRIs, US citizens busted in Hyderabad; 63 held

Hyderabad, Mar 6 (PTI) The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau on Thursday announced the arrest of 63 people after dismantling a major cyber fraud operation running out of a fake call centre in Hi-Tech City.

According to TGCSB Director Shikha Goel, the suspects were employed at Exito Solutions, a fraudulent call centre that targeted NRIs and US citizens.

Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a late-night raid on the bogus BPO, uncovering its involvement in cybercrimes.

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau arrested the accused, including the managing director and telecallers of the fake call centre.

Police said the call centre had been operational since January this year.

The accused, working as telecallers at Exito Solutions, impersonated customer care representatives of an American online payment gateway service provider to deceive victims, police said.

Explaining the modus operandi, a TGCSB release stated that the accused used advanced software to make fraudulent calls and send phishing emails.

They specifically targeted customers of the online payment gateway in the United States, falsely claiming that unauthorised transactions had been made on their accounts.

Victims were tricked into calling a fake "fraud prevention team" listed in the emails, where scammers pressured them into sharing sensitive banking details under the pretence of securing a refund or stopping fraudulent activity.

In some cases, victims were convinced to transfer money to “safe accounts” to prevent further unauthorised transactions, only to later realise they had been scammed.

Asked about the total amount siphoned off, a police official said, "The investigation is ongoing to ascertain the total loss, as all the victims are in the US, and the swindled money was transferred into US accounts." Each telecaller contacted an average of 30-40 people daily, police added.

Police further revealed that the mastermind behind the cyber fraud, identified as Kaivan Patel alias Jadu Bhai, a resident of Gujarat, is absconding.

He operated the racket along with his elder brother. These individuals were responsible for providing stolen customer data from the online payment gateway and arranging mule bank accounts in the US, which were used to receive fraudulently obtained money, the TGCSB release stated.

The illicit funds were converted into cryptocurrency, making the transactions untraceable, it added.

The investigation revealed that the entire network was controlled by Jadu Bhai under the supervision of Chanda Mansawani, a Hyderabad resident and managing director of Exito Solutions, police said.

The organisation operated in coordination with team leaders (other accused), who specialised in manipulating victims into making fraudulent payments.

The telecallers, primarily from northeastern states, were recruited through social media platforms with promises of salaries up to Rs 30,000 for working at the "call centre." However, once recruited, they were trained in deceptive tactics to commit cyber fraud, police said.

During the raid, police recovered 52 mobile phones used in fraudulent activities, 63 laptops, and 27 ID cards of Exito Solutions.

Further investigation is underway to identify additional suspects, including Justin, a key recruiter, and Jadu Bhai, who managed the operations, police added. PTI VVK SSK VVK SSK ROH