• Caller ID Spoofing & Social Engineering: Fraudsters used VoIP technology to make it seem like they were calling from Google’s official support team.
• Fake Business Verification Threats: Victims were misled into believing that their Google business profiles would expire unless they made a payment.
• Deceptive Payment Collection: Victims were convinced to transfer money, thinking it was a legitimate verification process.

Mumbai Police Busts Bogus Call Centres in Western Suburbs (2024)

Steps of the Fraud:

1. Establishment of Illegal Call Centres: Operators set up unauthorized call centres in Mumbai’s Andheri and Kandivali areas, employing staff to execute the scam.
   
2. Targeting Foreign Nationals: Using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, scammers contacted potential victims abroad, claiming to be from Google.
   
3. Deceptive Claims: Victims were falsely informed that their business profiles on Google would expire unless they paid a verification fee.
   
4. Collection of Fees: Under the guise of maintaining their online presence, victims paid the requested amounts, which were then pocketed by the fraudsters.
   
5. Lack of Service Delivery: After receiving payments, the scammers provided no actual services, leaving victims defrauded.

Investigation and Raid:

• Intelligence Gathering: Mumbai’s crime branch units received tips about the illegal operations of these call centres.
  
• Coordinated Raids: On November 9, 2024, simultaneous raids were conducted on the call centres in Andheri East’s JB Nagar and Kandivali East.
  
• Arrests and Seizures: A total of 19 individuals, including the owners, team leaders, a sales manager, and call operators, were arrested. Authorities seized electronic devices and records related to the fraudulent activities.