Police have uncovered a significant cyber crime racket operating out of Mohali, resulting in the arrest of 37 individuals who targeted US residents through a fake call center. The operation was based in Phase 8-B, Industrial Area, and included two key kingpins from Gujarat.
The accused, comprising 23 males and 12 females mostly from north-eastern states, particularly Nagaland, were all aged between 20 and 23. Driven by greed, they were fully aware of their roles, which varied from sending emails to making and receiving calls, with some posing as bank managers or officials.
Investigators estimate that the amount duped through this scam runs into crores. During a late-night raid on Monday, police seized 45 laptops, 59 mobile handsets, and a black Mercedes-Benz car from the fake call center, which was operating under the guise of an IT company named “Webtap Private Limited.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Garg addressed the media, stating that the police had strong leads from both human and technical intelligence. The operation was led by DSP (City) Mohit Aggarwal, who coordinated the raid and arrests.
Garg indicated that further raids are planned to capture the mastermind behind the racket, who may be running similar operations in other parts of India. Earlier in May, Punjab Police had also dismantled another fake call center in the same area, resulting in the arrest of 155 employees.
The accused have been charged under Sections 406 (breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at the Phase 1 police station.
SSP Sandeep Garg elaborated on the fraudsters’ tactics, revealing that they sent fake emails to US-based account holders, claiming that illegal transactions had occurred on their PayPal accounts. The emails threatened penalties for these supposed illegal activities, instructing victims to call a provided customer care number to avoid penalties.
Victims who called the fake customer service were persuaded to purchase fake gift cards valued between Rs100 andRs1,000 to “legalize” their transactions and avoid penalties. This scam had been operational for approximately six months. Upon receiving a tip-off, police acted quickly to verify the information and execute the raid, leading to the significant arrests and seizure of equipment used in the fraud. The arrested individuals in the Mohali cyber crime case include:Kaivin Patel (kingpin), Parteek Dudhat (kingpin)
