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Noida, India, Nov 18, 2021 -- A call centre in Uttar Pradesh's Noida was raided by the police and eight people were arrested for allegedly duping US citizens crores of rupees, officials said.

The gang had been active for around one year, of which eight to nine months was from their base in Noida, the officials said, adding they made up to 3 lakh every night.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Ranvijay Singh said the gang’s kingpin, a native of Panna district in Madhya Pradesh, has been identified but is at large.

"The raid was carried out by officials of the Sector 58 police station during which the gang was busted. Eight people, all Indian citizens, were arrested for duping US citizens," Singh told reporters.

"The gang had set up the call centre and contacted US citizens particularly those who were natives of India but citizens of the US and more so if they had some drug-related history. They had a link with some local vendors in the US who provided them with the data of such people," the officer said, citing the initial investigation.

Singh said the gang used sophisticated software and gadgets to target their prey and threatened to get them embroiled in illegal drug cases with American agencies, demanding money from them.

The money was first taken as a "gift voucher" on some particular website, then converted into Indian currency online and transferred into the gang's account, after which it would be withdrawn in India, he said.

"The gang duped the US citizens in a very systematic manner," the officer remarked, elaborating the modus operandi of the cyber criminals.

He said the gang members called up their targets using software and introduced themselves with fake English names, hiding their Indian identities.

Of the eight men arrested on Wednesday, seven are from districts in western Uttar Pradesh, including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut and Gautam Buddh Nagar while one hails from Panna in Madhya Pradesh, the police said.

An FIR has been lodged at Sector 58 police station for cheating, forgery, and under provisions of the Information Technology Act, the police said.

The police have seized ten computers, one laptop and several related gadgets and equipment from the call centre, it said, adding further legal proceedings in the case were underway.

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com