The CBI has busted a sophisticated online fraud orchestrated by brothers Ganesh and Shyam Kamankar from Kalyan. The duo ran illegal BPO centres in Nashik, impersonating a UK firm and selling forged insurance policies for TV sets to UK nationals.
When victims sought repairs, the brothers either arranged fixes through UK-based associates or issued refunds to evade detection. Their sister, Vidya Jadhav, acted as the HR manager for the operations.
Investigations revealed that the BPOs were run from a bungalow opposite Sandip Foundation University and managed financial transactions via digital payment gateways. The accused allegedly obtained card details from UK nationals and used spoofed numbers and VoIP systems to create the illusion of legitimacy.
The CBI uncovered that the Kamankar brothers colluded with Vivek Tiwari of Ulhasnagar, identified as the mastermind of the fraudulent Sky Assured Ltd, and Sharath Rao from Nashik, who drafted forged insurance documents. Data for the scam was procured from accomplices Akshay and Nancy, as well as the dark web.
During raids, the accused claimed their operations were legitimate, but evidence showed otherwise. CBI confirmed that no formal agreements existed with any UK companies, and the call centres violated standard BPO mandates.
Legal proceedings are ongoing, with Ganesh, Shyam, Vidya, Vivek, and Sharath in custody. The CBI continues to investigate the network and recover proceeds of the scam.
