70 call centre staff held for duping US nationals

In a swift operation, Thane Crime Branch officials conducted raids at seven call centres on Mira Road and arrested 70 employees for allegedly threatening US citizens for extortion and siphoning off their money.

Police investigations also revealed that the daily turnover of these call centres was to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore, with an annual collection of over Rs 400 crore. The modus operandi was that the call centre employees would pose as the US Internal Revenue Service department officials.

They would provide their badge number and identity card number. They would call US citizens and demand their financial and bank details, failing which they would allegedly threaten them with dire consequences, including legal action and jail term.

After obtaining requisite details from American citizens, these call centre employees would siphon off money from their accounts. The callers would ask US citizens not to disconnect the phone call, and ask them to purchase a gift card or make some other payment, and obtain their account details.

Police investigations have revealed these call centres employed 770 people, of which 70 have been arrested. The police allowed another 73 to go, while the remaining 630-odd agents are on radar.

The raids, started on Tuesday evening, were concluded on Wednesday evening.

Thane Joint Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Dumbre told Business Standard, ""So far, the call centre owners are at large. The police have registered a case for cheating, extortion and impersonation under the Indian Penal Code, Telegraph Act and Information Technology Act on the 70 staffers, who have been arrested."

The employees were trained to speak with an American accent.

The police have recovered 851 hard disks, high-end servers, laptops, mobile phones and electronic gadgets.