Three Arrested as Fake Airline Job Call Centre Busted in Delhi's Laxmi Nagar
Delhi Police have arrested three persons, including two women, after busting a fraudulent call centre operating out of Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi. The accused allegedly posed as human resources representatives of an airline company to dupe job seekers on the pretext of offering them ground-duty positions.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Zaid, Sadaf, and Tanisha, all residents of Delhi, police said on Monday. Investigators stated that the gang targeted victims across the country by demanding money via UPI under the guise of registration fees and employment-related charges.
The fraudulent operation was uncovered following a complaint lodged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal by a resident of Chhattisgarh. The victim alleged that he was contacted by an individual posing as an airline HR representative offering a job for ₹14,000. He transferred ₹14,500 through UPI before realising he had been duped.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar, the money trail was traced during the initial inquiry to a bank account from which the cash was withdrawn using an ATM in east Delhi. Following the financial trail, police registered a First Information Report on August 20.
The bank account belonged to Zaid, enabling police to track his movements and apprehend him in Laxmi Nagar. During interrogation, Zaid revealed the involvement of Sadaf and Tanisha. Further investigation revealed that the three individuals were operating the sham call centre together from Laxmi Nagar to contact job seekers.
Police said the accused used multiple phone numbers to contact prospective candidates, impersonated airline HR personnel, and instructed them to send money to different bank accounts via UPI. Once deposited, the money was withdrawn from nearby ATMs and shared among the group.
Investigators stated that Sadaf had been running the call centre for roughly three months. During a search of the premises, police seized six smartphones, three keypad mobile phones containing multiple SIM cards, and cash from Sadaf. The specific SIM card used in the Chhattisgarh case was also recovered.
Police noted that two other complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal have been linked to the mobile numbers used by the syndicate. Regarding their backgrounds, police said Zaid is a school dropout and unemployed, Sadaf dropped out during the second year of her Bachelor of Arts course, and Tanisha had completed Class 12 before joining Sadaf in the operation. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
