The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has dismantled two illegal call centres in Nashik that were allegedly duping foreign nationals through fake insurance and fraud schemes. The operation comes close on the heels of a similar crackdown in Igatpuri last month, where another call centre was found defrauding citizens in the US and Canada.
The Modus Operandi
Investigators revealed that the call centres employed nearly 60 people who posed as representatives of insurance companies and government agencies to target victims in the UK. Using VoIP technology, spoofed numbers and fabricated scripts, the operators tricked individuals into sharing sensitive banking details, purchasing bogus insurance policies, or making payments for non-existent services. Authorities say the fraudulent activity generated large sums of illegal income, laundered through multiple channels.
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Raids and Seizures
Searches were conducted in Nashik and Kalyan, leading to the recovery of crucial evidence. Officials seized mobile phones, computers, victim databases, fake insurance scripts and cash amounting to nearly ₹5 lakh. Two persons were arrested and produced before a special CBI court in Thane, where they were remanded to custody. A case has also been registered against four individuals, with further names expected to emerge as investigations progress.
Wider Crackdown
The bust highlights the growing problem of organised cyber-enabled fraud in Maharashtra. Earlier this year, police in Nashik had uncovered another racket in which callers posed as technical support agents to cheat US citizens. Officials believe that such networks are part of a larger international web of scams, where data theft, identity fraud and financial crimes are deeply interconnected.
Authorities have indicated that investigations will continue to trace the full scope of the network, identify beneficiaries, and examine links to money laundering operations.