PANAJI
A series of fake call centres posing as US-based service providers and extracting money through gift card schemes or other tactics has been unearthed across Goa, with police exposing operations running out of rented villas and apartments.
In just over three weeks, the State has witnessed a surge that appears systematic, with at least six raids, over 40 arrests, and seizures exceeding Rs 1.6 crore. Police sources told The Goan that these cases reveal a model that is mobile, easily replicated, and quietly embedded within residential neighbourhoods.
The latest crackdown on April 28 saw Crime Branch (CB) teams carry out back-to-back raids within hours -- first at an apartment in an elite society in St Inez and then at a villa in Dona Paula -- dismantling two linked operations and arresting 19 persons.
At St Inez, the flat had been converted into a compact call centre allegedly operated by Ahmedabad-based Yash Dessai (29) and Karan Mala (23), along with others. Recruits from Assam, Delhi and Gujarat were allegedly engaged to impersonate loan company executives targeting US citizens. Using laptops, VPNs and the Eyebeam application, callers reportedly pushed victims to pay “processing fees” or “security deposits” through gift cards.
“Victims were then allegedly instructed to purchase gift cards such as Sephora, Green Dot MoneyPak, Razer Gold and Apple cards as ‘processing fees’ or ‘security deposits’ to secure loans,” SP Crime Rahul Gupta said, in a recent statement. Police seized seven laptops, 13 mobile phones and a car valued at around Rs 30 lakh.
In Dona Paula, a similar operation was uncovered inside a villa, resulting in the arrest of 10 persons from Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Maharashtra. The CB said the group used Google Voice services routed through EthernetXpress connections to reach US targets, offering quick loans before diverting conversations toward gift card payments. Seizures included eight laptops, 11 mobile phones, networking equipment and three vehicles worth Rs 64.7 lakh approx.
The April 28 raids follow earlier crackdowns as more than 20 persons were arrested in a single day from operations functioning out of residential properties, in Karmali and Verem, on April 14. In Karmali, one unit operating under the recurring name “Payday” allegedly used malware as a pressure tactic, routing funds through US-based associates before channelling them back to India.
The pattern stretches further back to March 28, when a raid in Khorlim, Mapusa, led to seven arrests and the seizure of equipment worth Rs 21 lakh. Victims in that case, too, were allegedly persuaded to purchase gift cards from brands such as Sephora, Macy’s and Apple.
Across these cases, police said the method remains consistent, wherein callers assume identities ranging from loan agents and bank officials to tech support staff, masking their origin through VoIP platforms, and pushing victims toward gift card payments that are quickly converted into digital currency and withdrawn.
“These are not isolated incidents. It is happening across the nation. As and when we get information, we raid the places,” Gupta said on Friday.
