AHMEDABAD– Gujarat Police have dismantled an illegal call center in Ahmedabad’s Hansol area that was targeting U.S. citizens with a fraudulent loan scheme, earning praise from the U.S. Embassy in India for their swift action.
In a statement, the Embassy commended the operation, saying, “By seizing evidence and charging the individuals with offenses including cheating and criminal conspiracy, the authorities have sent a clear message against cybercrime. The United States and India are committed to taking decisive action against entities that threaten public safety and security.”
The call center, posing as a legitimate business, allegedly lured American victims with fake loan offers, then extracted personal data and money under false pretenses.
Acting on intelligence inputs, police raided the premises, arrested two suspects, and seized laptops, mobile phones, and call logs pointing to a coordinated international fraud operation. The suspects face charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. Authorities are working to track down other members of the network and assess the total financial damage.
The case comes amid a rise in cross-border cybercrime, where overseas scammers exploit social engineering tactics to target vulnerable populations. Experts say joint policing efforts, intelligence-sharing, and stricter enforcement are essential to addressing such threats.
The Embassy’s praise also comes against a backdrop of notable migration statistics. According to U.S. government data, over 90,000 Indians were apprehended at the U.S. border in fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024), with roughly half originating from Gujarat. From January to May 2025, 10,382 Indian nationals — mostly Gujaratis — were caught attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, a 70 percent drop from the same period the year before.
Gujaratis also represent a significant share of Indian asylum seekers. Of 41,330 Indians who applied for asylum in 2023, about 5,430 were from Gujarat — roughly 13 percent of the state’s applicants. The figures highlight Gujarat’s disproportionate role in illegal crossings and asylum claims, even though Indians overall account for only about 3 percent of U.S. border apprehensions in recent years. (Source: IANS)
