In the past three days, Madhya Pradesh police have uncovered two fake call centers involved in cyber fraud. The first operation was dismantled on November 14 in Shamgarh town, Mandsaur district, leading to the arrest of 22 individuals, including 18 women. Most of the arrested individuals, along with the absconding mastermind Kushal Kewat, hail from Kanwla village, which has become notorious as a hub for such activities. The call center operated under the guise of a fake diamond research company, targeting demat account holders across the country with promises of high returns on investments in blue-chip companies. Victims were lured with inflated returns but lost their money when the fraudsters cut all communication.
In another case, police in Bhopal’s Hanumanganj area busted a fake call center run by young individuals from Bihar, including seven arrested suspects aged 18 to 26 years. The accused created fake identification documents to open bank accounts, which were used to funnel proceeds from cyber fraud or sold to other fraudsters for profit. This group had previously conducted similar scams in cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Indore, and Hyderabad before setting up operations in Bhopal.
The investigations reveal that these call centers may have duped victims nationwide of crores of rupees. The police are actively pursuing the absconding head of the Shamgarh operation, whose arrest could shed light on the interstate connections of the racket. Authorities believe the scam, operational since July, exploited numerous unsuspecting investors, emphasizing the scale of the fraud and the need for vigilance against such schemes.