In a major crackdown on international cyber fraud, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch raided two fake call centres operating in Andheri (East) and arrested nine individuals allegedly involved in defrauding American citizens by impersonating officials from a prominent online shopping platform and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to the Crime Branch, intelligence received on December 9 indicated that the racket was operating from two buildings in JB Nagar.
The accused were reportedly accessing and misusing personal data of foreign nationals without consent, using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems and other online calling tools to pose as US government officials and threaten victims into paying fabricated penalties.
Following the tip-off, two teams from Crime Branch Headquarters and Unit 8 conducted simultaneous raids at both locations. Officers seized 11 laptops, 11 headphones, and 18 mobile phones, as well as routers, switches, and documents related to the cyber-fraud operation. The seized property is valued at approximately Rs 4.72 lakh.
Investigators said the accused used scripted conversations and fake identities to intimidate victims, claiming their bank accounts or packages were under investigation. Then, they coerced victims into making payments to avoid arrest or legal action. The operation is believed to have targeted only foreign nationals.
A case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the Information Technology Act 2000, and the Telecommunications Act 2023. All nine suspects have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
