Haryana's Cyber Crime West Police busted a fake call centre in Gurugram, arresting 11 for duping US citizens. The group posed as customer service, using scare tactics to extort money. Police seized laptops, phones, and vehicles from the location.
Fake Call Centre Busted in Gurugram
The Cyber Crime West police station team in Gurugram on Tuesday successfully raided and busted an unauthorised, fake call centre operating in J Block, Palam Vihar, Gurugram. The syndicate was targeting US citizens by posing as famous US-brand customer service representatives, utilising scare tactics involving viruses, technical glitches, and fake Federal Trade Commission (FTC) threats to extort large sums of money. Police arrested 11 individuals and seized electronic devices and vehicles from the spot.
The arrested persons have been identified as: Pritpal Singh, identified as the team leader; Mohammad Rizan Ansari; Chaitanya Goyal; Manish; Shahrukh Ansari; Sanjeev Pandey; Shivam; Aditya; Deepak Trivedi; Varun Gautam and Neeraj.
The accused posed as customer service representatives, convincing US citizens that their mobile phones had viruses or technical issues, and prompting them to call a virtual toll-free number. They used X-Lite Dialler software and FaceTime to communicate in English. They induced fear by showing fake Federal Trade Commission (FTC) letters and duped victims of USD 10,000 to 20,000 under the guise of fixing their issues. The defrauded funds were transferred to foreign bank accounts provided by the call centre owner or collected via gift vouchers/card numbers.
The accused had been operating the rented house as a call centre for the past 2-3 months, with individual callers working on a commission basis.
The following items were seized -- 9 laptops, 20 mobile phones, 2 headphones/mics, 2 cars,1 bike and1 scooty.
A case has been registered at Cyber Crime West police station, Gurugram, under Sections 318(4), 319, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 43, 66D, 72, and 75 of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further investigation and legal proceedings are currently underway.
In a major crackdown, Haryana's Cyber Crime West Police on Tuesday busted an unauthorised fake call centre operating out of Palam Vihar in Gurugram, arresting 11 persons for allegedly duping US citizens under the guise of providing Apple customer service.
Acting on credible intelligence, a police team conducted a swift raid at the premises.
During the operation, the accused were caught red-handed using laptops, headphones, microphones, and mobile phones to communicate with foreign nationals in English via X-Lite Dialler and Apple FaceTime.
Following the raid, Haryana Police registered a case at the Cyber Crime West police station in Gurugram under Sections 318(4), 319, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 43, 66D, 72, and 75 of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Police officials stated that an investigation into the matter is underway and further legal action will be taken as per prescribed procedures.
Further details awaited.
Notorious Criminal Killed in Sonipat Encounter
Meanwhile, in a separate development, as part of an ongoing campaign against organised crime, Haryana Police on June 22 shot dead a notorious criminal named Gopal in retaliatory firing after he opened fire on a Sonipat Police team.
According to information received from the police department, Gopal, son of Ram Singh and a resident of village Atayal in Sonipat district, was a habitual and notorious criminal. Nearly two dozen criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, assault, arson, and other serious offences, were registered against him.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case registered in 2010. Subsequently, in another murder case that occurred in the Ganaur area in 2016, he and his associates were again awarded life imprisonment.
In February 2026, Gopal was released on a 70-day parole. During the parole period, he was involved in several serious criminal incidents. In March 2026, he allegedly attacked a liquor vendor in the village of Atayal, assaulted individuals, vandalised property, and committed arson at gunpoint.
A joint team of Crime Unit West (CIA-1) and CIA Ganaur received information that the accused was moving around with the intention of targeting and killing a particular individual. Acting on the input, the police team attempted to apprehend him.
On spotting the police, the accused opened indiscriminate fire in an attempt to evade arrest. Two bullets struck police vehicles, while one bullet hit Head Constable Devender of CIA-1 in the hand, causing injuries.
Acting in self-defence and in accordance with established procedures, the police team returned fire, during which the accused sustained injuries.
Both the injured policeman and the accused were immediately shifted to Khanpur Medical College and Hospital. Doctors later declared the accused dead, while the injured policeman continues to receive treatment.
'No Place for Criminals': Haryana DGP
The Director General of police (DGP) Ajay Singhal said that Haryana Police is continuously carrying out effective and decisive action against crime and criminals.
He stated that the recent operations conducted against notorious criminals, gangsters, and elements involved in organised crime have sent a clear message that there is no place in the state for those who challenge law and order.
He described the action taken by Sonipat Police as another significant success in Haryana Police's crime-control strategy.
He further said that no criminal will be allowed to create an atmosphere of fear, terror, and insecurity, and strict action against such elements will continue within the framework of the law. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)