123 Kolkata: The DD Cyber Cell of Kolkata Police conducted a raid on a fake call centre operating from the Baishnabghata-Patuli area off EM Bypass, leading to the arrest of eight individuals involved in an out-of-the-box online fraud scheme.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday night, was initiated after cyber police officials detected suspicious patterns through the ministry of home affairs-run Pratibimb portal. Following detailed surveillance, reconnaissance, and investigation, the police team raided a first-floor premises in the Patuli township.
"The accused were found operating a sophisticated scam targeting online shoppers. Their modus operandi involved contacting potential victims under the pretext of resolving technical issues related to PIN code areas while receiving their online parcels. The fraudsters would employ multiple methods – one, convince customers to make additional payments; two, promise refunds of previously paid amounts but neither delivered the products nor returned the money; and three, warn of no delivery if advance payment was not made," said Rupesh Kumar, Joint CP (Crime & Traffic).
During the raid, police recovered 18 mobile phones, of which 10 were dialler phones, 53 SIM cards, and various documents containing customer leads and scripted conversations. The premises have been sealed pending further investigation.
The arrested individuals, aged between 26 and 35 years, hail from various parts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas. They were charged under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the BNS Act, 2023, pertaining to online cheating, fraud, and criminal conspiracy.
The accused were produced before the court on Wednesday, with police seeking their remand for further investigation.
Kolkata: The DD Cyber Cell of Kolkata Police conducted a raid on a fake call centre operating from the Baishnabghata-Patuli area off EM Bypass, leading to the arrest of eight individuals involved in an out-of-the-box online fraud scheme.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday night, was initiated after cyber police officials detected suspicious patterns through the ministry of home affairs-run Pratibimb portal. Following detailed surveillance, reconnaissance, and investigation, the police team raided a first-floor premises in the Patuli township.
"The accused were found operating a sophisticated scam targeting online shoppers. Their modus operandi involved contacting potential victims under the pretext of resolving technical issues related to PIN code areas while receiving their online parcels. The fraudsters would employ multiple methods – one, convince customers to make additional payments; two, promise refunds of previously paid amounts but neither delivered the products nor returned the money; and three, warn of no delivery if advance payment was not made," said Rupesh Kumar, Joint CP (Crime & Traffic).
During the raid, police recovered 18 mobile phones, of which 10 were dialler phones, 53 SIM cards, and various documents containing customer leads and scripted conversations. The premises have been sealed pending further investigation.
The arrested individuals, aged between 26 and 35 years, hail from various parts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas. They were charged under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the BNS Act, 2023, pertaining to online cheating, fraud, and criminal conspiracy.
The accused were produced before the court on Wednesday, with police seeking their remand for further investigation.