Pune police have dismantled a fake call center that was allegedly extorting over Rs 25 lakh daily from US citizens by threatening them with arrest. As per agency report, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the operation, which targeted mostly senior citizens and retirees in the United States.
Operating under the name "Magnetel BPS and Consultants LLP," the illegal call center had been functioning since August 2024 from a commercial building in the Kharadi area of Pune. Over 120 individuals, including at least a dozen women, were employed as night-shift calling agents to carry out the scam.
Acting on a tip-off, Pune police’s Crime Branch conducted a late-night raid on Friday. During the operation, numerous agents were taken in for questioning.
Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma stated that the suspects contacted American citizens claiming their bank accounts had been misused in drug trafficking or other criminal activities. The victims were then threatened with arrest and coerced into purchasing gift cards, which the accused later redeemed for personal financial gain.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the call center was extorting between $30,000 to $40,000 (over Rs 25 lakh) per day through what the scammers referred to as "digital arrests." The scam primarily preyed on vulnerable elderly individuals by exploiting their fear of legal repercussions.
During the raid, police seized 64 laptops and 41 mobile phones used in the fraudulent operation. Authorities continue to interrogate those detained and are expanding the investigation to identify additional individuals involved in the international scam.
