PUDUCHERRY: The cyber crime police has arrested two women of belonging to a Chennai-based gang that duped thousands of people across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, swindling over Rs 2.5 crore by promising them easy bank loans through a fake call centre.
The fraud came to light after Shankar, a resident of Thirukanur, lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police. He was contacted by a woman posing as an HDFC Bank representative, who offered personal loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 14 lakh. After collecting his documents via WhatsApp, she demanded processing fees, GST, and verification charges. Shankar transferred Rs 71,000 through multiple payments before realising that he had been conned.
Acting on the complaint, inspector Keerthi registered a case under the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police Nithya Radhakrishnan.
Investigations led the police to Red Hills and Puzhal in Chennai, where a raid was conducted on a fraudulent call centre named New Golden Enterprises. Police found that the centre, owned by Sasikala Ponselvi (34), employed over 15 women.
Police seized 42 SIM cards and 17 mobile phones from the premises and arrested Ponselvi and another woman named Muniratha (28). Preliminary investigation showed that the centre had been in operation for over a year, laundering more than Rs 2.3 crore through multiple bank accounts and using the money to purchase luxury cars. Employees reportedly received a salary of Rs 15,000 along with incentives. The Puducherry police have identified two other fake call centres in Chennai and have alerted their Tamil Nadu counterparts.