Dehradun police have arrested 5 people accused of running an illegal call centre from a rented flat in the Rajpur area and targeting people in the United States and Canada. The suspects allegedly posed as service providers, offered antivirus installation and persuaded targets to buy 100-dollar gift cards.

The arrests followed a police raid on Monday night at a flat in Orchid Park on Tarla Nagal Road. The operation was allegedly being conducted from the rented premises. Police identified the arrested suspects as Ashish Nagar, Akshat Sharma, Anshu Mudgal, Raj Singh and Abhinav Singh. All 5 are from Meerut and Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

How the alleged call-centre operation worked

According to Rajpur police, the main accused, Ashish, told investigators that he had previously worked at a call centre in Noida. Police said he had been involved in similar fraud there before moving to Dehradun 3 months ago and allegedly restarting the operation.

Investigators said the group bought phone numbers belonging to 5000 people in the United States and Canada. The suspects allegedly introduced themselves using English names and placed calls through a voice application.

During those calls, they reportedly claimed that antivirus software needed to be installed on the targets’ mobile phones or laptops. The people contacted were then allegedly asked to purchase gift cards worth 100 dollars. Police said the suspects resold the cards at lower prices and had the proceeds transferred into their bank accounts.

The raid resulted in the seizure of 14 mobile phones, 4 laptops, one iPad and 3 cars, police said. A case has been registered against all 5 suspects under the Information Technology Act at Rajpur police station. The arrests and allegations remain part of the police investigation.

Separate cybercrime complaints in Dehradun

The arrests came as police also investigated 2 separate cybercrime complaints in the city. These cases do not involve the same accused people identified in the Rajpur call-centre case.

In one complaint, a resident of Dehradun’s Moti Bazar alleged that he was deceived through promises of employment and an import-export business. Av iral Seth told police that he met Animesh Lahiri while looking for work in 2024. Lahiri allegedly introduced him to Mantosh and Samar.

According to the complaint, the 3 men persuaded Seth to download the Go Pay app on his mobile phone. He alleged that this allowed the accused to receive all messages sent to his phone. The suspects then allegedly arranged an IDFC Bank account in his name and obtained its login ID and password.

Seth later learned from the bank that millions of rupees linked to cyber fraud had moved through the account. The account has since been frozen, according to the complaint. City Kotwal KC Bhatt said a case had been registered against the 3 accused and an investigation was underway.

In another case, a 79-year-old man from the Premnagar area reported that ₹1.70 lakh was transferred from his Central Bank of India account without his knowledge. Avtar Singh Bisht said he had neither shared an OTP nor used net banking.

Bisht said the transfer took place from his account at the bank’s Panditwari branch on the afternoon of 8 October. He noticed the transaction after receiving an SMS on his mobile phone that night. Premnagar station officer Girish Negi said a case had been registered and the matter was being investigated.

Conclusion

Police have arrested 5 suspects in the alleged Rajpur call-centre scam, while separate investigations continue into the account-related complaints. The cases involve allegations at different stages, and further findings will depend on the ongoing investigations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many people were arrested in the Rajpur case?

Police arrested 5 people: Ashish Nagar, Akshat Sharma, Anshu Mudgal, Raj Singh and Abhinav Singh.

Q. Who were allegedly targeted by the call-centre operation?

Police said the suspects targeted people in the United States and Canada.

Q. What did the suspects allegedly ask people to buy?

They allegedly asked people to purchase 100-dollar gift cards after offering antivirus installation for mobile phones and laptops.

Q. What items did police seize?

Police said they seized 14 mobile phones, 4 laptops, one iPad and 3 cars.

Q. Where was the alleged call centre operating?

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

Q. What happened to the IDFC Bank account in the separate complaint?

The account was frozen after the complainant learned that millions of rupees linked to cyber fraud had moved through it.

Q. How much money was reported missing from the elderly man’s account?

The complainant reported that ₹1.70 lakh had been transferred from his account.

Q. Did the elderly complainant report sharing an OTP?

No. He told police that he had not shared an OTP and did not use net banking.