Four Malayalis held in Cambodian call centre scam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Thiruvananthapuram city police have arrested four individuals from Kerala in connection with an online fraud scheme operated through a Cambodian call centre. The arrested are Sadiq, 48, of Nallalam in Kozhikode, Shefeeq, 37, of Idukki, Sadiq, 24, of Vadakara, and Nandu Krishna, 21, of Thrissur.

The fraudsters allegedly befriended a Thiruvananthapuram resident via Instagram and persuaded him to invest in the stock market, claiming they could facilitate profits using AI-powered applications. As a result, the victim was siphoned off Rs 2 crore last month.

The investigation, which was initiated by a special team led by assistant commissioner C S Hari of Thiruvananthapuram City cyber crime police and supervised by deputy commissioner Nithinraj, uncovered incriminating WhatsApp conversations between the victim and the accused individuals. It was determined that the fraudulent activities were orchestrated from outside India.

The modus operandi involved the transfer of defrauded funds through branches of various nationalised banks in Kerala. “Some locals rented out their bank accounts to the fraudsters in exchange for a commission, facilitating the withdrawal of illicitly obtained money. Additionally, certain individuals were found selling their bank account details and associated SIM cards,” said DCP Nithinraj.

According to him, Pappanoor resident Manu is the mastermind behind the operation, with Sadiq playing a significant role by sourcing bank accounts for rentals to carry out the fraud. Shefeeq was responsible for transferring the embezzled funds to Cambodia in the form of digital currency. Sadiq and Nandu Krishna were involved in the scheme by offering their bank accounts for a share in the commissions. All four suspects have been remanded by the court.