Inside Kolkata: The Scam Capital of The World
Sector V in Salt Lake City, Kolkata, may not be the best vacation spot for visitors in India. However, it hosts scammers who are too familiar to many people in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
Inside Kolkata The Scam Capital of The World
These cybercriminals trick their victims by pretending to call from the tax office, bank, internet provider, or delivery company. Their primary goal is to gain access to your personal details and bleed you dry.
For a long time, these criminals have just been voices on the phone with faces and names. But recently, Daily Mail exposed them, and surprisingly, they have real and organised offices. In fact, last month, the Indian Police shut down five call centres in Sector V, each boasting 100+ staff.
Every day these employees commute to Sector V with other legitimate business people. What’s more, they rock business clothing, carry briefcases, and arrive at unassuming buildings within the area. Here they own desks, where they sit and carry out their 9-hour shift of cold calling victims across the globe.
50% of The Worldโs Scam Calls Can Be Traced Back to Kolkata
Jim Browning, a scam fighter, says that almost 50% of global scam calls come from a few plain tower blocks in West Bengal’s capital. The small area hosts upwards of 100 scam call centres. Though it might be only a few kilometres in diameter, if it shutdowns, about half of the scam calls throughout the world might cease.
In early June, officers from the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime department raided an office. This office was on the 4th floor of the Meridian Building. They discovered hundreds of people involved in a harmful trade. This trade takes advantage of the vulnerable and leaves them with nothing.
The employees gathered behind small desks. They called people in Australia, America, and Europe. Their goal was to scare these people. They wanted them to share their financial and personal details. They also wanted them to make quick payments to avoid problems.
Some people trick unsuspecting victims with fake tech support or fast internet service. They claim to be from a real business and say they are just trying to help. Some people pretend to be officials from well-known mobile app or software companies. They do this to install screen-sharing software on their victims’ devices.ย As such, they can hack into their bank accounts and wipe them clean.
Most of the high-ranking staff members arrested in the raid were between 21 and 36 years old. They were the key people behind the profitable business.
Over 53 People Have Been Arrested
Since May 9th, police have busted about five call centres in Kolkata and taken 53 scammers in custody. Cybercriminals from the region target over 60 million individuals worldwide and steal over $20 million from their victims.
Kolkata is one of Indiaโs cultural hubs and the third largest city. However, its residents do not have the best living conditions. Also, the city faces a house supply shortage.
Sector V is arguably the city’s most popular business and retail area. However, its reputation as the scam capital of the world makes it unappealing for most people.
Many people from the region hate the scammers, stating itโs an awful profession. However, the scam calls practice is not new in the city. Itโs been around for several years. In fact, in 2019, Indian police shut down fraudulent operations carried out on 15 floors across six separate buildings.
CCTV of Lolkata call centre scams
Investigation Into Kolkata Scam Callers
NASA engineer and YouTuber Mark Roberts teamed up with Mr. Browning. They spent 18 months investigating scam call centers in Kolkata.
Trilogy Media and other YouTube creators teamed up to prank the office. They used glitter bombs, smoke bombs, stink bombs, and cockroaches to surprise the staff.
By working together with the employees, they successfully obtained CCTVs and recorded the scam acts in progress. After the investigation, Mark posted a video on his YouTube channel, Mr. Roberโs.
The video and other evidence from Mr. Roberโs team helped the police arrest many fake call centers. They closed these centers in Kolkata and other places in India.
The Rise of Scams
Scam callers mostly target people older than 65 years, often claiming to work with Amazon, Microsoft, or the government. Sadly, hundreds, if not thousands, of Australians fall victim to these scammers each year.
Over the years, the number of scam calls, texts, and emails has grown a lot. Some people get up to four texts a day from unknown numbers.
In 2021, Australians lost about $205 million to scammers. These scammers pretended to be from the Australian Tax Office, Microsoft, or Amazon. Things got so bad that Telstra launched a new SMS scam filter tool to counter the number of Aussies falling victims to scams.
Scam texts are not just annoying. They can also install malware that steals personal and financial information. This allows scammers to hack into victims’ accounts and take their money.
Scam texts, calls, and emails are on the rise. This shows that scammers and hackers are always finding new ways to steal personal information and commit fraud. So, it’s high time to learn how to protect yourself from scams. If you have been scammed, change your passwords right away. Check if you can get your money back. Report the scam to the proper authorities.
References
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10921903/Kolkata-India-scammers-pretend-ATO-Amazon-Microsoft.html
- https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/what-to-do-if-youve-been-scammed/
- https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-based-youtuber-mark-rober-busts-fake-call-centre-in-kolkata-with-glitter-bombs-and-cockroaches-2958525
Written by The Original PC Doctor on 14/8/2022.
