Kolkata, September 3 (Daily Kiran) : Kolkata police have dismantled two fake call centers operating in South Kolkata, arresting 67 individuals, including 41 women, in connection with a nationwide fraud scheme. The arrests took place following a series of raids in the Kasba area on Rajdanga Main Road.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a location on September 2, where numerous individuals were working from an office-like setup, making calls across the country. During the search, authorities seized 39 mobile phones, nine chargers, nine diaries, two ATM debit cards, and ₹16,000 in cash.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects posed as representatives of telecom companies, banks, and insurance firms. They lured victims with offers of installing 5G mobile towers, high-return insurance schemes, health insurance policies, and low-interest loans. Victims were persuaded to transfer money into designated bank accounts under the guise of processing fees and other charges. Police suspect these accounts acted as “mule accounts” for the fraudulent network.
Investigators estimate that this racket has utilized approximately 100 bank accounts over the past six months. The accused reportedly collected money from victims under the pretense of telecom tower installation fees, loan processing charges, and insurance packages. There are suspicions that they used fake authorization letters issued by banks, organizations, and government agencies to gain victims’ trust.
During the raids, police discovered diaries and scripts containing information about potential targets and pre-prepared dialogues to convince victims to send money. Investigators believe this call center previously operated in the Patuli area and relocated to Rajdanga Main Road about a month ago.
While questioning suspects, police uncovered another similar operation on the first floor of a nearby building. A subsequent raid resulted in the arrest of 27 more individuals, including 18 women and nine men. Authorities seized an additional 32 mobile phones and four registers from this location.
According to investigators, both call centers were allegedly run by Sandeep Banerjee from Nayabad and his unidentified associates. Police are now probing this extensive network to identify other conspirators and determine the total amount of money obtained through fraud.
All 67 suspects have been charged under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code.
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