The Cyber Crime Police arrested seven persons following a late-night raid at a rented bungalow in Karmali, where they were allegedly operating a fraudulent call centre to dupe citizens in the United States with fake loan offers.
Police said digital equipment, including laptops and mobile phones collectively valued at approximately Rs 23 lakh, was seized from the premises.
Those arrested have been identified as Jay Vijay Acharya of Malad East in Mumbai; Yogesh Mali of Ahmedabad; Rishab Dipakkumar Shah of Gandhinagar; Ashutosh Yogesh Pratap of Ahmedabad; Parth Bharabhai Thakkar of Ahmedabad city; Adrian Kinsten Mariasevan of Mumbai; and Nilesh Satish Singh of Nagpur.
As per details shared with the media, the accused were operating under the name “Payday” and allegedly impersonated representatives of loan companies. They are suspected of cheating victims in the United States by offering instant loans and inducing them to make payments through gift cards, including Sephora, Macy’s, Green Dot MoneyPak, Apple Gift Cards, Razer Gold, and Xbox.
"The victims were persuaded to transfer large sums under the false pretext of loan processing and approvals, a common modus operandi in international cyber fraud cases," the police said.
