In a coordinated operation, Mumbai’s Sion Police, backed by its cyber cell, uncovered a fake call center operating out of a rented room in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. Posing as bank agents, fraudsters siphoned lakhs from unsuspecting victims by baiting them with fake offers to increase their credit card limits. One arrest has been made, and 11 people detained.
A Digital Mirage: How Credit Dreams Turned Into Financial Nightmares
What seemed like a simple customer service call offering enhanced credit card limits ended in the theft of ₹4.54 lakh for one Mumbai resident. The promise? A quick credit boost. The cost? Access to his sensitive banking information and a sudden financial loss.
The case came to light when the victim lodged a complaint with the Sion Police in August 2023 after his credit card was charged without authorisation. The caller, posing as a bank representative, offered to increase his card limit. Trusting the professional tone and urgency, the victim shared his card details via a malicious link sent on his phone. Within hours, money was siphoned off from his account.
Initial digital trail analysis by cyber experts led the Mumbai police to a surprising destination—an inconspicuous room in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar.
From a Rented Room to a Nationwide Scam Factory
Acting on technical surveillance and call record analysis, the Sion Police cyber cell raided a room in West Delhi and uncovered a fully functional fake call center. The prime accused, 29-year-old Manjeet Kumar Mahaveer Singh, had rented the room to set up what appeared to be a normal telemarketing operation. In reality, it was a tightly coordinated cyber fraud unit.
During the raid, police detained 11 individuals who were found cold-calling people across India. Each operative was trained to deliver convincing bank-like pitches, ask for OTPs, and prompt victims to click malicious links under the pretence of verifying identity or accepting “limit upgrades.”
The team used dozens of prepaid SIM cards and constantly rotated numbers to stay ahead of law enforcement. The phone number used to contact the Mumbai complainant was linked to 16 other complaints, revealing the sheer scale of the racket.
National Pattern, Local Location
Speaking to the media, investigators said this operation may be part of a larger pan-India fraud network. Authorities suspect that the call center may have operated for months before the Mumbai complaint triggered a deeper investigation. Preliminary data suggests the accused obtained personal details from dark web sources or bought leads from unethical data brokers.
The 11 detained individuals are currently under questioning. Police are also verifying their links with other cybercrime units operating in Noida, Gurugram, and Jaipur. Manjeet Kumar remains in police custody and is expected to face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and various provisions of the Information Technology Act, including Section 66D (cheating by personation through communication devices).
Authorities have urged the public not to share personal banking details over calls, especially when offered unsolicited services.
India has seen a sharp rise in cyber frauds over the past three years, especially post-pandemic, when digital banking and fintech adoption soared. From phishing links to app-based malware and fake call centres, criminals now exploit both technological tools and human psychology. As of now, the Delhi call centre case serves as yet another reminder of the growing sophistication and reach of India’s cybercrime underworld. For victims, the losses are not only financial but deeply emotional.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.