Noida News: DCP Shakti Mohan Avasthi Leads Noida Police in Busting Fake Call Center; 21 Arrested for Defrauding Over 1,000 People
Noida, Uttar Pradesh – In a significant crackdown, Noida Police have uncovered a fake call center operating out of Sector-63, arresting 21 individuals, including five women. The accused were allegedly running a scam under the guise of offering platforms on popular e-commerce sites like NYKAA, EBAY, MYNTRA, and ETSY, duping unsuspecting vendors out of millions over the past six months.
E-Commerce Scam with Fake Certifications
According to DCP Shakti Mohan Avasthi, the cyber help desk had been receiving numerous complaints regarding fraudulent activities. Acting on these complaints, a team was sent to investigate an address listed as Infobeam Solutions at D-247/01 in Sector-63. Upon arrival, they found fake certificates from well-known e-commerce companies such as NYKAA, EBAY, MYNTRA, and ETSY framed and displayed on the walls to give the impression of authenticity. The police discovered that the call center was involved in creating and distributing these counterfeit certifications. The operation led to the arrest of 21 individuals identified as Jogendra Kumar, Himanshu Sharma, Gopal Saxena, Reyansh Sharma, Akhil Garg, Nishant, Ravi Kumar, Saras Bhardwaj, Anil Kumar, Kartik Mishra, Akash Yadav, Pankaj Upadhyay, Lokesh Chaudhary, Pradeep Kumar, Mukul Tyagi, Akash Sharma, Sweety, Monika Verma, Gunjan Chauhan, Poorvi, and Gunjan Katyal. The police also seized 12 desktop computers, 12 laptops, and other electronic devices from the site.
How the Scam Operated
During interrogation, the accused revealed that they falsely claimed to be authorized representatives of major e-commerce platforms. They advertised on social media, inviting people to sell their products on these platforms in exchange for a certification. Interested sellers were then told that they needed to pay a fee to have their products listed and advertised on these e-commerce sites. The fraudsters charged each vendor between INR 10,000 to 20,000 depending on the platform and the duration of the advertisement. Once the vendors transferred the money, the scammers would neither advertise the products nor return the money, effectively defrauding them. The scammers repeated this process with different vendors, amassing a fortune in the process. Several bank accounts associated with the scam have been frozen as the investigation continues.
थाना सेक्टर-63:-फर्जी कॉल सेंटर का किया खुलासा !
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GAUTAM BUDDH NAGAR (@noidapolice) August 14, 2024
ई.कॉमर्स कंपनियों के नाम पर फर्जी सर्टिफिकेट तैयार कर विक्रेताओं के साथ जालसाजी कर पैसा ठगने वाले गैंग के 05 महिला सहित कुल 21 अभियुक्त गिरफ्तार, 12 डेस्कटॉप कंप्यूटर, 12 लैपटॉप, 28 मोबाइल व 02 टेब बरामद।
बाइट- @DCPCentralNoida https://t.co/D4C9wVgQZ7 pic.twitter.com/v3VJI3T7aY
Key Figures in the Scam
DCP Avasthi identified Jogendra Kumar, Gunjan Katyal, and Akash Sharma as the ringleaders of the operation. These individuals were responsible for creating the fake certificates and instructing their employees to distribute them. The employees then sent these certificates to vendors using data obtained from various sources, luring them into the scam. Once a vendor fell for the trap, they would extort money from them, sharing the spoils among themselves and their employees.
The police are continuing their investigation into the full extent of the scam, and more arrests are expected as they delve deeper into the network of fraudsters.
