Palghar cops bust fake call centre; 5 held

Palghar: The Palghar Police have uncovered an international cyber fraud racket operating from a residential flat in Palghar West, arresting five individuals accused of cheating citizens of the United States. Acting on a tip-off, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) conducted a late-night raid at a flat in Mahim, Palghar, on Monday, where the fake call centre was being operated by 5 people. During the operation, police seized electronic equipment worth about Rs 5.72 lakh, including laptops, mobile phones, headsets, routers and internet devices used to carry out the fraudulent activities.Investigations revealed that the accused allegedly posed as technical support representatives of reputed international technology companies. They reportedly contacted US-based victims, falsely claiming their computers were infected with malware or compromised by hackers. The victims were then tricked into purchasing high-value gift cards under the guise of resolving the fabricated issues.
Cops are probing if the fraudulently obtained funds were later converted into cryptocurrency and routed through illegal channels, indicating an organised and well-planned operation. They are also probing the number of people involved in this apart from the five arrested.A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. The arrested accused were produced before a local court and remanded to police custody. Further investigations are underway to identify additional links and determine the scale of the cyber fraud network.The five accused have been identified as Bharat Lalwani, 35, Mira road resident, Rohit Nimbalkar, 29, Pune, Rohit Zore, 23, Mira road, Amardeep Gill, Bhayander and Sagar Pathadia, Surat resident. They have been remanded to police custody till Feb 28.