Raipur – The Raipur Police have uncovered a major fraudulent syndicate operating from the state capital, where employees posed as bank officials to cheat American citizens. Investigations revealed that the racket, managed by operators from Gujarat, targeted foreigners by promising to improve their CIBIL scores and settle bank loans.
Police raided two call centres located at Pithalia Complex and Anjani Tower on 26 March, arresting 42 individuals. The syndicate also operated from a luxury flat in Palm Bellagio. While the managers and callers are in custody, the masterminds, Vikas Shukla and Sanjay Sharma from Ahmedabad, remain at large.
Modus Operandi
The accused operated between 8 PM and 7 AM to align with US day hours. Using data obtained via WhatsApp and Telegram, they contacted US citizens who had existing loans with four major American banks. A prepared script was used to threaten victims about poor credit scores or pending instalments.
Once intimidated, the accused obtained the victims’ account details. Reports indicate that they used Chinese applications to generate online cheques and siphoned off lakhs of dollars.
Recruitment and Training
Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Santosh Singh stated that the gang recruited local youth, mostly Class 12 graduates, with monthly salaries ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000. Since many employees lacked English proficiency, the organisers provided scripts in Hindi phonetics to help them speak with an American accent.
“The employees were trained for two months on how to handle calls. If a victim asked technical questions, the call was immediately transferred to a senior manager,” said a police official.
Key Arrests
The police have identified three main supervisors:
- Rohit Yadav and Saurabh Singh – managed the Pithalia Complex branch
- Gaurav Yadav – in charge of the Anjani Tower branch
These supervisors received a monthly salary of approximately ₹30,000.
The Ganj and Rajendra Nagar police stations are conducting further investigations. Teams have been dispatched to Gujarat to apprehend the prime suspects.
