Loan app scam busted in Thiruvananthapuram; 18 North Indians held for targeting Americans

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Police have busted a fake call centre in Thiruvananthapuram that allegedly cheated Americans through a loan app scam. Eighteen men from North India were taken into custody during a raid at the premises of the call centre. The alleged mastermind, Akash Singh Chaudhary, a native of Gujarat, managed to escape, while his associate, Kapil, was arrested at the airport as he allegedly attempted to flee to Mumbai.

The fake call centre had been operating for around one-and-a-half months from a rented commercial building at Pavizham Homes near Iris Hospital in Pongumoodu. It was equipped with around 50 computers and employed nearly 20 people who were fluent in English.

According to police, the group obtained the details of loan applicants from a platform called LendJet and contacted them while posing as loan representatives. The victims were allegedly persuaded to pay various charges, including operational fees, in US dollars. Police said this is the first known case in Kerala in which a loan app scam primarily targeted people in the United States.

Police seized hundreds of SIM cards, mobile phones and computers from the premises. Officials said the full extent of the fraud would become clear only after a forensic examination of the seized devices. Akash Singh Chaudhary is also an accused in similar fraud cases registered in Gujarat and Mumbai.

Police also conducted searches at locations where the accused had been staying, including Kovalam. Most of those taken into custody are from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Cyber police are now trying to access the call centre's server and are investigating whether people from other countries were also targeted.

Police entered disguised as sanitation workers

The DANSAF team had received intelligence that a group of North Indians working only at night was allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Surveillance was launched as part of Operation Toofan. Investigators noticed that the suspects entered the building only at night and stayed at different locations, including Kovalam, during the day. Although some of them were allegedly using cannabis, officers suspected they were involved in a more serious crime. Police entered the building disguised as sanitation workers and uncovered the fake call centre operating with around 50 computers.

'A high-risk operation'

City Police Commissioner Dr Arul R.B. Krishna said the operation was carefully planned to prevent the accused from escaping. Armed police personnel raided the fake call centre, while additional teams were deployed at the airport and railway station to intercept anyone attempting to flee. A total of 18 people, including alleged associates of the gang, were taken into custody. Police said the direct involvement of 13 of them in the fraud has been confirmed.

'Do not switch on this computer or we will shoot'

Investigators found a warning written in English on one of the computers that read: "Do not switch on this computer. We will shoot." Police believe the computer was used by Akash Singh Chaudhary and served as the main server for the group's financial transactions. Police also suspect that the gang may have targeted Malayalis living in the United States. The victims were allegedly people who had applied for loans through various financial platforms. Investigators found information related to several US credit institutions on the seized computers and are examining whether the fraud was linked to those organisations.

"Our preliminary findings indicate that a large number of Americans were targeted. The full scale of the fraud is likely to emerge as the investigation progresses," said City Police Commissioner Dr Arul R.B. Krishna.