Panjagutta police busts call center luring people with fake digital services, three held

HYDERABAD: Panjagutta police has cracked down on a call center operated by IGS Digital Centre Limited, arresting three individuals for allegedly defrauding people across the country. The company, headquartered in Jaipur, with a branch at White House building in Begumpet, lured gullible citizens with promises of high returns through their digital payment platform.

IGS Digital Centre advertised offering 300 digital services, including money transfer, bill payments, and government services. However, the company only provided a handful of basic services.

Trained tele-callers, guided by team leaders, targeted people searching online for income opportunities. They falsely claimed IGS was a government-backed company and convinced victims to pay for "retailer," "distributor," or "zonal" IDs to access the platform.

Telecallers promised high commissions (30-35 per cent) but never delivered. Once payments were made, victims were left with a non-functional app offering only a few basic services.

After receiving money, IGS stopped responding to victims' calls and avoided providing their office address, relying solely on WhatsApp communication.

A complaint filed on January 10, 2024, by a victim triggered an investigation. Police raided the IGS call center at White House, seizing computers, storage devices, and illegal GSM gateways used for making calls. On January 25, police arrested Prateek Chauvey, CEO and Director of IGS Digital Centre Ltd, Dasari Swarnalatha, HR Head of IGS Digital Centre Ltd and Shravan Lal Sharma, a mediator who allegedly pressured the complainant to drop the case.

Hundreds of victims had reportedly lost money to IGS, with complaints registered on social media and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police urged victims to contact the Panjagutta police station to register their grievances.