MUMBAI: The proprietor of a software company has been arrested from Malad for allegedly running a call centre racket in which he cheated Americans and Candaians. The police said they have seized 100 gm of marijuna meant for his personal consumption. Also, they found gold coins weighing 200gm valued at Rs 10 lakh besides Rs 40 lakh.
The arrested accused, Nishant Nagraj Shirshikar (30), was running the call centre from his home. He had over a dozen employees working from their homes, said officials of Mumbai police’s Crime Intelligence Unit.
Police inspector Sachin Waze and his team raided Shirshikar’s flat on a tip-off.
The police said that Shirshikarand his employees would impersonate as officials of the US Internal Revenue Service or US Citizenship and Immigration Service and would approach American and Canada nationals to pay up their pending fines. They would agree to settle it at half the amount if it was paid on the spot, said Waze. “They asked the target to buy gift coupons and gave them a fake pass code and dupe them.’’ he said .
They threatened them with arrest and imprisonment if they refused to pay. They got data about their targets from data brokers and the dark Net. Waze, said they are still to find out if his employees knew of the crime.
Shirshikar has been sent to police custody till Friday.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/call-centre-scam-working-in-mumbais-malad-conning-in-the-us/articleshow/77905526.cms
