Bidhannagar Police bust New Town tech-support call centre preying on US victims; 24 arrested
Bidhannagar City Police raided an illegal call centre styled as Xtra source Pvt. Ltd. in Eco Space, New Town, arresting 24 people (13 women, 11 men) for tech-support scams targeting US victims via Amazon/Apple impersonation, remote access, and gift vouchers. Seized: 53 desktops, 4 laptops, 24 phones, and scam scripts.
Bidhannagar Police bust New Town tech-support call centre; 24 held
Bidhannagar City Police have busted an illegal call centre operating from a rented corporate-style office in New Town, Kolkata, after a raid by Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station.
Twenty-four people, 13 women and 11 men, were arrested for allegedly defrauding foreign nationals, primarily in the United States.
The raid
Acting on a tip-off, officers raided a facility styled as “Xtra source Pvt. Ltd.” in the 3B block of Eco Space, under Techno City Police Station jurisdiction.
During the operation, employees were caught making fraudulent tech-support calls to the USA.
How the scam worked
Police say the syndicate used a classic tech-support fraud model.
Operators sent bulk emails and pop-up alerts, and also called victims, posing as technical support for solar-system installation and for brands such as Amazon and Apple.
Once a victim dialled the helpline or took the call, operators posed as multinational tech-support executives.
After gaining remote access to victims’ computers, they coerced them into buying high-value gift vouchers as payment for bogus services.
Investigators also uncovered a complex financial trail allegedly used to launder the proceeds.
Seizures
Police seized 53 desktops, four laptops, 24 mobile phones, and detailed scam scripts used to manipulate victims.
Investigation
Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar, Rathod Amitkumar Bharat said investigations are underway to trace the mastermind, and ownership of the office space is being verified.
Why it matters
Tech-support scams that combine phishing pop-ups, brand impersonation, remote access, and gift-voucher cash-out remain a high-volume cross-border fraud pattern targeting US consumers from Indian call centres.
Local cyber police tip-off raids that catch operators mid-call disrupt both the social-engineering floor and the evidence trail needed to map money-mule networks.
Written by: Cyber Security Team, Ministry of Cyber Affairs
Source: Millennium Post (Gourab Neto), 2 October 2026