Kolkata: The Cyber Police Station, Kolkata, has recorded a case against 17 individuals allegedly involved in a large-scale online fraud and fake call centre operation.
The complaint, lodged by Inspector Piyali Barua of the Cyber PS, Kolkata, alleges that the accused operated a fraudulent call centre, targeting individuals across India and Bangladesh. According to the FIR, the suspects lured victims with false pretexts, including fake matrimony proposals and promises of sexual favours, eventually tricking them into transferring large sums of money online. Investigations revealed that the accused prepared forged documents, fabricated electronic records and circulated fake payment receipts and screenshots of scam websites to make their operations appear legitimate. The accused include Shampa Mukherjee (35), Moumita Paira (27), Uma Ram (28), Bulti Das (28), Mamata Halder (21), Khushi Sarkar (19), Sumi Bose (34), Tania Mondal (22), Puja Saha (27), Aditi Chakraborty (28), Sumi Das (23), Kajal Singh (26), Binita Middya (27), Puja Mullick (32), Priti Ram (28), Alesh Balmiki (30), and Aritra Saha (33), among others.
Cyber Police have termed the operation “highly organised and systematic”, noting that the accused exploited technology to deceive a large number of victims. Authorities are continuing to investigate the scope of the scam and tracing the funds transferred through various online platforms.
The case has once again highlighted the rising trend of online fraud in India, urging citizens to exercise caution while dealing with unknown calls, messages, or online proposals promising financial or personal gains.