Key facts
- 119 people arrested in fake international call centre bust in Lucknow
- Call centre allegedly ran cyber fraud operations targeting victims
- Mumbai Police separately arrested 11 from a fake airline job racket in Dehradun
- Raids highlight spread of fraudulent call centre networks across India
Uttar Pradesh police arrested 119 individuals in a sweeping raid on a fake international call centre in Lucknow that was allegedly running large-scale cyber fraud operations. The single-operation arrest count makes this one of the most significant cyber-crime busts in the state's recent history.
Fake call centres of this kind typically recruit young operators to pose as representatives of foreign companies, banks or government agencies, defrauding victims — often overseas — of significant sums. In many cases, the fraudsters target non-resident Indians and foreign nationals by mimicking the language, accent and protocols of legitimate institutions.
Lucknow has emerged as one of several north Indian cities where such operations have taken root, exploiting the availability of English-speaking graduates and cheap office space. Police said the centre was running a sophisticated operation before the raid dismantled it.
The arrests follow a broader national push to crack down on cyber fraud infrastructure after a surge in complaints. Earlier on the same day, Mumbai Police also arrested 11 people from a Dehradun call centre running a fake airline job racket — underscoring that fraudulent call centre networks have spread across multiple states and require coordinated law enforcement responses.