Pune: Ex-serviceman, pals lose Rs 21 lakh to call centre fraud
Mihir Tanksale | TNN | Apr 16, 2019, 06:58 IST
Representative imagePUNE: Two fraudsters promised to help a 33-year-old ex-serviceman and his friends set up a call centre and duped them of Rs21.3 lakh.
About three months ago, the retired serviceman came to know that both the men, who had offered to help them set up a call centre, were cheats and that they had duped many others using the same method. He then approached the cybercrime cell, and on Sunday, lodged an FIR with the Warje Malwadi police.
Senior inspector Prakash Khandekar said they have registered a case under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating) and also sections of the IT Act.
The 33-year-old resident of Karvenagar retired from the army recently. When he told a friend that he was looking to invest his retirement fund, the friend introduced him to one of the suspects, who is based in Pune, in August 2018.
“The suspect told the complainant that he would help him start a call centre and get business,” said an officer of the Warje Malwadi police. Two friends of the ex-serviceman too decided to invest in the business. “The suspect then introduced them to a person from Mumbai, who spoke to them only through VoIP calls,” the officer said.
The suspects advised the complainant to sign an agreement with a Philippines-based company. “They even emailed all the ‘legal’ documents,” the office said, adding, “The complainant and his friends checked the website of the company and found nothing suspicious.”
The suspects then told the complainant that they would help them in getting three business processes for their new call centre and sought money from them. “The complainant transferred Rs11.55 lakh, while one of his friends transferred Rs 5.9 lakh. Another transferred Rs 3.85 lakh to the bank account numbers given by the suspects,” the officer further said.
“Everything (the office space and staff) was ready, but the three investors did not get the business processes. The suspects, meanwhile, continued to demand money from the complainant and his friends, by giving them different reasons,” the officer said.
The complainant then got suspicious and started looking into the duo. That was when he found out that the suspects had duped many people using the same method.
About three months ago, the retired serviceman came to know that both the men, who had offered to help them set up a call centre, were cheats and that they had duped many others using the same method. He then approached the cybercrime cell, and on Sunday, lodged an FIR with the Warje Malwadi police.
Senior inspector Prakash Khandekar said they have registered a case under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating) and also sections of the IT Act.
The 33-year-old resident of Karvenagar retired from the army recently. When he told a friend that he was looking to invest his retirement fund, the friend introduced him to one of the suspects, who is based in Pune, in August 2018.
“The suspect told the complainant that he would help him start a call centre and get business,” said an officer of the Warje Malwadi police. Two friends of the ex-serviceman too decided to invest in the business. “The suspect then introduced them to a person from Mumbai, who spoke to them only through VoIP calls,” the officer said.
The suspects advised the complainant to sign an agreement with a Philippines-based company. “They even emailed all the ‘legal’ documents,” the office said, adding, “The complainant and his friends checked the website of the company and found nothing suspicious.”
The suspects then told the complainant that they would help them in getting three business processes for their new call centre and sought money from them. “The complainant transferred Rs11.55 lakh, while one of his friends transferred Rs 5.9 lakh. Another transferred Rs 3.85 lakh to the bank account numbers given by the suspects,” the officer further said.
“Everything (the office space and staff) was ready, but the three investors did not get the business processes. The suspects, meanwhile, continued to demand money from the complainant and his friends, by giving them different reasons,” the officer said.
The complainant then got suspicious and started looking into the duo. That was when he found out that the suspects had duped many people using the same method.
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