According to crime branch officers, the conmen operated from Ramesh Enterprise building of Mount Logic Solutions call centre
Late on Thursday, sleuths from Thane Crime Branch raided a bogus call centre operating from a business complex in Ambarnath and have arrested eight persons for duping American nationals by posing as Columbus Bank officials. Police have seized 31 computer hard disks and three laptops containing data about the scam.
According to crime branch officers, the conmen operated from Ramesh Enterprise building of Mount Logic Solutions call centre. The crooks resorted to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to contact US nationals and lured them into taking loans. The callers, in the age group of 20-22, availed details from the US nationals and lured them by giving $100-500 as processing fee through iTunes cards.
"The caller used to take the 16-digit code of the cards, which were used to withdraw cash from them. US nationals have been duped in large numbers since 2015," said a crime branch officer.
Thane crime branch had also busted call centre scams in Mira road seven months back, wherein the callers had been threatening the US nationals. However, the modus operandi of the present case revealed that the US nationals were conned by the call centre operators.
"We have also arrested Jaya Gunjal, the owner of the place, who was receiving Rs 7 lakh as rent. We suspect that she was aware of the illegal operations," said the officer.
Abhishek Trimukhe, Deputy Commissioner, Thane Crime Branch said, "We are also investigating the roles of 18 other people involved, and a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, and Telegraphic Act has been registered. We also suspect the involvement of foreign nationals in this scam and further probe is on."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "DNA")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}