Bengal Police have busted an alleged loan fraud call centre in Bardhaman town and detained seven people, including two directors and five female employees, after a raid near the Tinkonia bus terminal. Police said the operation used loan offers to collect sensitive identity documents and demand money from victims.
The call centre was located on the second floor of an office building in Bardhaman, around 100 kilometres from Kolkata. The Burdwan Police conducted the raid after receiving inputs from the National Crime Records Bureau, according to the report.
During the operation, police seized a database containing nearly 5,000 phone numbers, 12 SIM cards issued in the name of a trust, one laptop, four desktop computers, eight mobile phones and documents. The seized material is expected to form part of the investigation into the alleged network and its money trail.
Police said female callers contacted potential victims with loan offers and asked them to send Aadhaar, PAN and voter identity cards through WhatsApp. The callers then allegedly demanded Rs 370 as a processing fee, with payments collected through QR codes.
According to the police, victims were later subjected to further demands ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000. The alleged method combined the collection of personal identity records with small digital payment requests, followed by additional financial demands.
Investigators also found that scanners were changed every day and that keypad phones were used at the centre, police said. These measures allegedly helped the operators avoid being traced while continuing communications with potential victims.
The detained people include the centre’s directors, Arit Das and Rimi Das, along with five female staff members. Das denied the fraud allegations and claimed that he worked as a bank agent.
The police have started an investigation and launched efforts to trace the flow of money connected with the alleged operation. The seized devices, SIM cards, documents and phone database are expected to be examined as the probe progresses.
