Rajpur police have arrested 5 men accused of operating an illegal call centre from a rented flat in Dehradun and allegedly defrauding foreign nationals with fake antivirus offers. The arrests followed a late-night operation in a flat at Orchid Park on Tarla Nagal Road on 12 October.

According to police, the suspects called people abroad and falsely claimed that their mobile phones or laptops had technical problems. They then offered to provide an antivirus application in exchange for a 100-dollar gift card. After receiving the card number or a graph, the group allegedly failed to deliver the application to most customers.

The case is significant because the suspected operation was based in a residential property and reportedly focused on people in the United States and Canada. Police said the accused changed locations periodically to avoid detection.

How the alleged operation worked

Police said the group had purchased about 5,000 mobile numbers belonging to foreign nationals. Calls were placed through the Google Voice application, using a method that allowed the suspects to contact people outside India.

The gift-card details were sent to a virtual mobile number, investigators said. The accused allegedly sold the cards at lower prices after obtaining the numbers or s. Proceeds from those sales were deposited into different bank accounts.

Police said the group provided the antivirus application to only some customers, while other callers were allegedly cheated after paying for the gift cards. The available account does not state the total amount collected or the number of people who lost money.

Police action and recoveries

The operation began after police received information that a fake call centre was functioning from a flat in the Rajpur area. Officers reached the location late on 12 October and arrested all 5 suspects named in the case.

Police said they recovered 14 mobile phones, 4 laptops, an iPad and 5 chargers from the premises. 3 vehicles were also seized: an i20, a Verna and a Thar.

The arrested men were identified as Ashish Nagar, 32, Akshat Sharma, 22, Anshu Mudgal, 23, Raj Singh, 23, and Abhinav Singh, 25. All 5 are residents of Uttar Pradesh.

Investigation and charges

During questioning, police said Ashish Nagar told them that he had previously worked at a call centre in Noida. He allegedly learned the method there, left that job about 3 months earlier and moved to Dehradun, where he began the operation with associates in a rented flat.

A first information report has been registered at Rajpur police station under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The arrests and allegations remain subject to the investigation and any later court proceedings.

Police are examining the seized phones, laptops and other equipment to identify additional people linked to the operation. Investigators are also trying to trace the money allegedly obtained through the gift-card transactions.

Conclusion

Rajpur police have arrested 5 accused in an alleged antivirus-support gift-card scam run from a rented Dehradun flat. The investigation will focus on other possible associates, the overseas callers contacted and the money trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where was the alleged call centre operating?

It was operating from a rented flat at Orchid Park on Tarla Nagal Road in the Rajpur area of Dehradun.

Q. Who were the alleged targets?

Police said the group mainly targeted citizens of the United States and Canada.

Q. What did the callers offer?

They claimed that the customers’ mobile phones or laptops had problems and offered an antivirus application.

Q. What payment did the suspects allegedly demand?

Police said the callers asked customers to buy a 100-dollar gift card and share its number or a graph.

Q. What was recovered from the flat?

Police recovered 14 mobile phones, 4 laptops, an iPad, 5 chargers and 3 vehicles.

Q. How many people were arrested?

Rajpur police arrested 5 men, all residents of Uttar Pradesh.

Q. Which legal provisions were cited?

A case was registered under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Q. What will police investigate next?

Police are examining the devices to identify other linked people and trace the money connected with the alleged fraud.