Mumbai, February 3 (PTI) – In a major crackdown, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Monday dismantled an illegal call centre in the Sakinaka area, arresting six individuals for allegedly defrauding US citizens by falsely selling drugs like Viagra, an official reported.
According to authorities, the accused adopted an American accent to convincingly scam their targets. The police seized six hard discs, two mobile phones, a pen drive, and several documents during the raid at the call centre, which was being operated from a room in a building in Sakinaka.
Investigations revealed that the accused used VICIDial, a call centre software, and employed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to bypass traditional phone lines, allowing them to target US citizens seamlessly.
Their modus operandi involved calling unsuspecting victims, offering Viagra and other pharmaceutical drugs, and persuading them to transfer money online.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Asad Saleem Sayed (32), the alleged mastermind and owner of the call centre; Zaid Ehsan Shaikh (31), the manager; Owais Ehsan Shaikh (27); Taufiq Wasim Shaikh (20); Adnan Ahmed Sayyed (21); and Rehan Yaya Khan (18), who worked as telecallers.
A case has been registered at Sakinaka police station, and the crime branch is conducting further investigations to unearth the full extent of the fraud.