Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) arrested 63 people operating a fake call centres in Hitec City.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
A total of sixty-three individuals operating out of a fake call centre in Hyderabad’s HiTec City were arrested by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) in an operation carried out on the intervening night of Wednesday (March 5, 2025) and Thursday (March 6, 2025). The individuals, posing as PayPal customer care representatives, primarily targeted Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and US citizens, tricking them into fraudulent financial transactions.
Each employee asked to make 30 calls a day
Investigation revealed that the centre was operational since the beginning of January 2025. Each of the employees was asked to make at least 30 calls a day, totalling to over 600 calls per day. The centre operated between 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
A majority of the accused, belong to the North-Eastern part of the country. Some of the arrested include 26-year-old Chanda Manasvini, from Hyderabad who leased the premises; 20-year-old Akshat Thapa, from Meghalaya; 23-year-old Anand Kumar, from Bihar; 36-year-old Achichi; 29-year-old Apeji Apon; 20-year-old Apao Pasane, from Manipur; 23-year-old Asha Lama; 22-year-old Atheli Chishi; 24-year-old Atsomong Thevii; 23-year-old Babil Debnath; 18-year-old Bendangjungla; 28-year-old Dinbe Chawang, the latter six from Nagaland.
Call centre earlier shut down due to low response
“The call centre was earlier started near Madhapur’s N-convention centre in October 2024. It was shut down due to low response from US citizens owing to their year-end holidays. It was made operational again in Patrika Nagar of Hitec City from January,” TGCSB Director Shikha Goel explained.
The official said that the individuals were first roped in by offering a job in a call centre here. “However, they were later trained on defrauding citizens by posing as PayPal representatives. All of them were given daily targets and they willingly participated in the scam,” she added.
The accused lived in a hostel about 4-5 kilometres away from the call centre and travelled back and forth via cabs from aggregator platforms. Most of them studied only till the senior secondary level however were very conversant with English language.
The Bureau is collaborating with the Telecom Department as well as the U.S. Consulate to identify the victims and ascertain the fraudulent accounts in the US.
Mode of operation
The accused were employed at Exito Solutions. They used advanced software such as Eyebeam and X-Lite to make fraudulent calls and send phishing emails. Victims were falsely informed that unauthorised transactions had been detected on their PayPal accounts and were then directed to call a fake “fraud prevention team” for assistance. Once on the call, scammers pressured victims into revealing sensitive banking details under the pretext of securing a refund or stopping fraudulent activity. In some cases, victims were convinced to transfer money to so-called “safe accounts,” only to later realise they had been scammed.
The operation was allegedly masterminded by Kaivan Patel Rupesh Kumar alias Jaddhu or Jadu Bhai, from Gujarat. He was running the racket alongside his elder brother, Vickey, based in Dubai, and an associate named Ajad. These individuals were responsible for obtaining stolen customer data from PayPal and setting up mule bank accounts in the USA to receive the illicit funds. The money was then converted into cryptocurrency to make it untraceable.
Further investigations revealed that the entire network was controlled by Jadu Bhai, La Bhai, and Rahul alias Pratik under the supervision of Chanda Mansawani, the managing director of Exito Solutions, who resides in Hyderabad. The scam was orchestrated with the help of team leaders Sanju, James, and Praveen, who trained new recruits in deceptive tactics. These employees were lured into the operation through social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, with promises of salaries amounting to ₹30,000 per month.
During the police raid, authorities seized fifty-two mobile phones, sixty-three laptops, and twenty-seven identification cards belonging to Exito Solutions employees. Investigators are currently working to identify additional suspects, including a key recruiter named Justin, and the operation’s main organiser, Jadu Bhai.
The officials urged individuals to be cautious while leasing their properties, as they could be misused by scammers.
Published – March 06, 2025 03:03 PM is
