Sitting In Kolkata They Duped People In Australia: Bengal Police's Cyber Cell Busts Bogus Call Centre, 21 Held

Last Updated:March 26, 2025, 20:39 IST

The scammers would contact Australian citizens posing as representatives of the Broadband Network (NBN) of Australia. They claimed that an upgrade from copper wire to optical fibre was necessary and required payment

Twenty-one people, including four women, were apprehended during the raid. Pic/News18

West Bengal police’s cyber cell has busted an international illegal call centre operating in Kolkata that duped Australian citizens. Twenty-one people, including four women, were apprehended during the raid.

The scammers would contact Australian citizens posing as representatives of the Broadband Network (NBN) of Australia. They claimed that an upgrade from copper wire to optical fibre was necessary and required payment.

Investigations revealed that the criminal enterprise was involved in hawala transactions, an illegal underground financial system.

Acting on a tip-off received on March 24, the cyber wing uncovered the fraudulent call centre run by an individual named Samir Khan in the Salt Lake Baguiati area. Operating under the guise of “Ostenix Solution" since 2022, the racket used fictitious Australian names to deceive the victims.

Police sources revealed that the scammers utilised a virtual phone software called Eye Beam installed on their computers. This software was configured using foreign IP addresses based in France and Finland. The ringleader would provide the call centre employees with Australian leads, whom they would contact and pressurise into paying for the bogus fibre optic upgrade. They warned victims of potential operational issues if the upgrade was not completed. After obtaining payment and personal details, no services were ever rendered.

DIG (cyber) Anjali Singh stated, “They used to redeem the money through Delhi, China, and the hawala network. We are investigating and have taken four accused into police custody. We believe this is a significant operation, given their use of Australian names and their planned manner of operation."

Illegal call centres and digital fraud are on the rise, prompting West Bengal police to establish a dedicated helpline to combat this growing threat. Police sources emphasise the increasingly diverse and dangerous nature of cybercrime.

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