SALEM: Two people who allegedly defrauded the public by offering fake online services such as used car and mobile sales and matrimonial alliances have been arrested by Salem District (Rural) Cyber Crime Police.
The accused, Rajason (25) of Tirunelveli and Nithyasree (21) of Erode, operated a fake call centre in Perundurai. They recruited 30 telecallers through job portals, placed ads on social media, and convinced victims to pay advances up to Rs 15,000.
One such victim, K Gokulakrishnan from Tharamangalam, lost Rs 11,000 while trying to buy a used phone. His complaint helped police trace and arrest the suspects. The duo reportedly converted the collected money into gold to avoid detection.
Police seized nine mobile phones, two laptops, 30 gold coins (25.7 grams), 10 debit cards, eight bank passbooks, three chequebooks, and 10 SIM cards. Investigations revealed their involvement in over 40 fraud cases across India.
“They believed smaller amounts would discourage complaints,” said a police officer. Authorities urge other victims to come forward. Only three complaints have been received so far, police sources added.