Mumbai Fake Call Centre Busted: 19 Booked For Cheating 22 People Of ₹14.83 Lakh With Fake Franchise Promises

Mumbai police have dismantled a fraudulent call center operation that swindled 22 people out of ₹14.83 lakh by falsely promising lucrative franchise opportunities with major e-commerce and courier companies. On September 2, law enforcement received a tip-off and raided M Fins Services Private Limited, a company based on Marve Road in Malad West.

During the search, officers discovered a group of individuals making deceptive calls to potential customers via mobile phones and WhatsApp. These scammers claimed their company had exclusive contracts with industry giants like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Blue Dart, DTDC, and BigBasket, promising investors substantial returns and lifetime franchises.

The accused allegedly solicited payments from unsuspecting victims, collected their money under false pretenses, and then failed to deliver the promised franchises, leaving the victims without recourse. The investigation revealed that Sohanlal Gupta was the mastermind behind the scheme. The police seized 17 telecallers' mobile phones, eight laptops, Excel sheets, and documents related to the fraudulent franchise agreements.

Additionally, they found a list containing the names, contact details, and payment amounts of the cheated victims. The operation has led to the arrest of 19 individuals, including Santosh Gupta, Chirag Shah, Aishwarya Yeshu, and others. Charges have been filed under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The police are actively investigating additional victims and scrutinizing the financial dealings of the accused to uncover any further potential fraud.