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Navi Mumbai police said on Wednesday, August 19, that they had dismantled an alleged fake technical-support call centre in Mahape that targeted US citizens through a scripted impersonation scheme. The operation allegedly presented itself as representatives of Apple and American banks before directing victims toward cryptocurrency wallets or gift-card payments.
Police arrested 13 people in connection with the alleged racket, including the call centre’s alleged manager and three team leaders. The case highlights how increasingly elaborate social-engineering tactics are being used in crypto scams, with fraudsters allegedly combining fake technical warnings, impersonation and financial pressure to persuade victims to surrender money.
The alleged manager was identified as 27-year-old Parth Bharatbhai Patel. Police also identified Jambin Jacob Balumal, 28; Naeem Haroon Rashid Sheikh, 46; and Sameer Farid Sheikh, 31, as alleged team leaders. Nine other people were allegedly working as agents.
According to the FIR, the operation followed a predetermined script. Potential victims first received messages on their Apple devices claiming that approximately $499 had been charged to their bank accounts. The messages reportedly instructed recipients to call a specified number if they had not authorised the transaction.
Once victims called, agents allegedly introduced themselves as Apple technical-support representatives. They claimed that suspicious activity had been detected on the victim’s device and allegedly blamed the activity on a virus referred to as “CHAMPI.”
The alleged fraudsters then reportedly transferred victims to another agent or team leader posing as a bank representative. The second caller allegedly used a fictitious American identity and told victims that their money needed to be moved temporarily to a “secure” account to protect it.
Investigators allege that the operation used cryptocurrency as one of its principal methods of collecting money. Victims were reportedly sent QR codes connected to cryptocurrency wallets and persuaded to transfer funds as part of the supposed security procedure.
When victims refused to make a cryptocurrency transfer, the accused allegedly offered another option. They reportedly claimed the suspicious transaction could be cancelled if the victim purchased a gift card equivalent to the amount involved and provided its 16-digit number.
The FIR further alleges that team leaders obtained sensitive banking information from victims, including card numbers, expiry dates and CVVs. Police allege that the information was subsequently used to purchase gift cards.
The alleged scheme illustrates the layered nature of these crypto scams. Rather than immediately asking victims for cryptocurrency, the callers allegedly established credibility by first presenting themselves as trusted technology and banking representatives before introducing the financial demand.
Police also found scripts on computers at the premises that allegedly instructed agents on how to communicate with American victims while adopting fake American accents. An application identified in the FIR as Microsipe was allegedly installed on the computers and was reportedly used to receive calls from US citizens.
Investigators reportedly found WhatsApp messages on a mobile phone used by the call centre that indicated 5,301 USDT had been collected between May 6 and June 6 through the alleged fraud. The FIR valued the amount at approximately ₹5.03 lakh, while noting that the total could increase following further technical analysis and transaction tracing.
The seized material included 255 SIM cards, six mobile phones, nine cheque books, two servers, two CPUs, two SIM boxes, a laptop and printed scripts allegedly used by the operators.
The evidence, according to the FIR, provides investigators with several potential avenues for tracing the alleged crypto scams, including digital communications, cryptocurrency transactions, telephone records and equipment recovered from the premises.
The operation also allegedly relied on a substantial number of SIM cards and computer systems, suggesting an organised setup rather than an isolated impersonation attempt.
Police have not said that the recovered USDT represents the full value of the alleged fraud. Instead, the FIR indicates that investigators are continuing to examine the technical evidence and trace additional transactions.
While 13 people have been arrested, police said the alleged masterminds of the operation remain at large. They have been identified as Mustafa Khan, his wife Zareen and their associates Purvank Shrimali, also known as KR, Iggy and Sheikh Bhai.
Police have launched a search for the absconding suspects as the investigation continues.
The case has been registered under sections 318(4), relating to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property; 319(2), concerning cheating by personation; 3(5), concerning joint criminal liability; and 238, relating to giving false information, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The allegations in the case remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The arrests and charges do not, by themselves, establish guilt.
The Navi Mumbai investigation also demonstrates how crypto scams can intersect with conventional fraud techniques. In this case, police allege that the operation combined fake Apple alerts, fabricated banking identities, technical-support claims, stolen payment information, gift cards and cryptocurrency transfers in an attempt to convince victims that they were protecting their money.
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