Karnataka Police Bust International Fraud Call Centre Targeting US Citizens

Karnataka Police Bust International Fraud Call Centre Targeting US Citizens

Police in Karnataka’s Belagavi district have shut down a large international fraud call centre that had been secretly operating out of a building on Bauxite Road and systematically targeting US citizens. The operation was launched after Bengaluru’s Intelligence Security Division tipped off local authorities about suspicious activity at the site.

When the raid began, officers arrested 33 people — 28 men and five women — who were allegedly running the cyber-fraud racket. Those detained came from nine states, including Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A few of the accused are from Nepal as well.

Inside the premises, police seized 37 laptops and 37 mobile phones, along with systems configured with VoIP software and Urban VPN. Investigators said these tools were used to mask the origin of calls and make them appear as if they were coming from US numbers.

Jammu Kashmir Bypolls: Major Setback for Omar Abdullah as NC Loses Budgam Stronghold | PDP Strikes Back

Early findings show the group relied on at least 11 script-based models to deceive American victims. Call operators were trained using detailed scripts that instructed them on how to speak, what to say, and how to manipulate targets into sending money.

The masterminds behind the racket are believed to be based in Gujarat and West Bengal, and efforts are underway to track them down. Belagavi Police Commissioner Borse Bhushan Gulabra said the department will coordinate with the CBI and Interpol to reach out to affected US citizens and record their statements.

A case has been registered under multiple sections of the IT Act — 66C, 66D, and 75 — along with section 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating. Police also invoked sections 48 and 49 of the BNS for offences committed outside India, and section 42 of the Telecommunication Act.

The investigation is ongoing, and officials said more arrests are likely as they move closer to uncovering the full network behind the scam.