The US Embassy has organised the special screening of ‘Bogus Phone Operators’, a film documentary unravelling one of the biggest call centre scams in India, at the American Center in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The documentary is an investigative crime series that exposes the ‘Thane Call Centre Scam’ with the joint operations of U.S. and Indian authorities.
U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti on the event highlighted the successful partnership between U.S. and Indian law enforcement in fighting cyber-crime.
With this screening the audience would witness how the authorities of both countries go behind the criminal networks operating from India that swindled the American citizens while sitting in India and uncovered the multi-million-dollar scam.
Thane Call Centre Scam was related to a group of 600 deceptive call centre employees in Maharashtra’s Thane, who allegedly collaborated to pull off a fraud involving over 15,000 Americans, resulting in estimated losses exceeding $50 million.
Satyaprakash Upadhyay, Director of Bogus Phone Operators, said that such scammers spread widely, targeting people all over the world.
Calling it a high time to understand their tricks and cooperate to stop them he urged the world to work together to stop them, claiming that they are not just random people attempting to steal money from the victims.
He further added that these scammers are part of a large, intelligent, technologically advanced group that understands how to get our personal information. They can even claim to be police or government officials without fear of being apprehended because they are supported by a large network.
The Nation Award-winning filmmaker collaborated with experts, media, lawyers, call centre employees and the officers of Indian Police and FBI for research and to find challenges. He later helmed the film through the lens of the investigative officer who led the raid.
Yule Kurup, the Producer of Bogus Phone Operators (BPO), said that he is committed to presenting compelling and thought-provoking stories that connect with audiences throughout the world, sparking conversation and inspiring change. He added, “through our investigation into the Thane Call Centre Scam, we seek to raise awareness and enable viewers to protect themselves from similar fraudulent operations.”
The documentary focuses on the scope and severity of the alleged scam, its impact on victims in the United States, and the subsequent investigation, which included the partakers of the combined operation between Indian police and the FBI.