Delhi police crack down on fake call centre peddling phony car insurance

Delhi police crack down on fake call centre peddling phony car insurance | Insurance Business Asia

Motor & Fleet

Delhi police crack down on fake call centre peddling phony car insurance

Key suspects reveal details of scheme

Motor & Fleet

By
Roxanne Libatique

Delhi Police have shut down a fraudulent call centre in the Dwarka Mor area, arresting two individuals believed to be involved in defrauding customers seeking car insurance online.

According to The Tribune’s report, authorities recovered 18 mobile phones, two laptops containing car owner data, a counterfeit ATM card used for money withdrawals, and over 1,200 pages of documents with detailed personal information on car owners.

Investigation of fake call centre selling car insurance

The investigation began after an electronic First Information Report (e-FIR) was submitted on Oct. 5, concerning a theft of INR 12,000.

Assistant sub-inspector Sandeep – who is handling the case – contacted the complainant, who reported that in June, while searching online for car insurance options, he began receiving unsolicited calls offering cheaper policies.

The complainant subsequently received an email from an address claiming to be affiliated with Policy Bazaar, with a sender who provided an identification card and details about the complainant’s vehicle. This individual, later identified as Mayank, initiated further discussions through WhatsApp, requesting information about the complainant’s previous car insurance policy.

Mayank then provided the complainant with bank account details under the name “Policy Bazaar Co Ltd” at the Bank of Maharashtra.

On June 30, the complainant transferred INR 12,000 to the provided account. However, upon receiving the policy documents, the complainant noticed discrepancies and reached out to Tata AIG Insurance Company, which confirmed the policy was fake.

Individuals in fraudulent insurance scheme busted

Police registered a case and conducted a detailed investigation, analysing CCTV footage that led them to the rented apartment.

The surveillance revealed that 10 women, aged 19 to 24, were involved in the call centre’s operations. They were later issued notices under Section 35(3) of the BNSS before being released.

Under interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they recruited staff using the Work India App and other online job platforms. The hired staff were instructed to contact car owners and offer discounted car insurance. If a customer showed interest, the staff would pass the call to a “senior officer” to finalise the deal.

The suspects created four fraudulent email accounts posing as representatives of Policy Bazaar, through which they sent fake insurance quotes and bank details. Once the customer transferred money, the scammers would abandon the SIM cards and mobile devices to avoid detection.

Further investigation uncovered more than 25 fake bank accounts linked to the fraudulent scheme. Efforts to trace additional victims and those responsible for setting up these accounts are ongoing.

The police also found that the fake bank accounts were opened using forged Know Your Customer (KYC) documents and fake residential addresses. Additionally, the accused obtained fake SIM cards from vendors in Bihar and Jharkhand, using them to conduct the scam.

The investigation is still ongoing as police work to identify more victims and the suppliers of the fake accounts and SIM cards.