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AHMEDABAD: Fraudsters who operate bogus call center rackets have found a new modus operandi. They target citizens of the United States and Canada, luring them in with $ 5,000 in aid to overcome the crisis caused by the Covid pandemic, and taking $ 2,000 away from them instead.
These call centers are run in small shops, cars, autorickshaws or even scooters are mainly located in the east of Ahmedabad, mainly in GIDC.
Police sources said: ‘The crooks are calling strangers, asking them if they have suffered a financial setback during Covid and offering them instant relief of $ 5,000. If the person agrees, they ask the victim to pay $ 2,000 for instant help. Once the money is paid, the criminals disappear.
Using the dark web, these defendants also send messages to foreign nationals, showing that a certain amount has been credited to their account. “They’re creating a fake cell phone number or a fake bank website through which they send messages,” the officer said.
Previously, crooks had tricked foreigners into offering them payday loans or threatening to implicate them in a bogus narcotics deal. “With heightened awareness, targets realize they are being duped and call the security agencies. So the criminals have found a new modus operandi, ”said another officer. Many of them operate from Vatva GIDC and Narol industrial zones where they have set up call centers in indoor units, he said. This method is also used by bogus call centers in Mewat and Alwar to trick Indians.
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