Kolkata Police on Wednesday busted a fraudulent call centre operating out of the Dalhousie area of central Kolkata, arresting six people — including five women — for allegedly cheating citizens across India by posing as government representatives and promoting a fictitious Pradhan Mantri Wi-Fi Yojana. Investigators suspect the racket siphoned off crores of rupees from unsuspecting victims who were promised lifetime free internet access in exchange for a nominal upfront payment.

How the Scam Operated

According to a senior police officer, the accused ran a scripted operation from a rented premises at Government Place (East) in the Dalhousie area. Telecallers would contact prospective targets over the phone, introduce themselves as government representatives and claim that the Centre had launched a new Pradhan Mantri Wi-Fi Yojana offering pan-India internet connectivity for life.

Victims were told that a small initial payment — framed as a first instalment — would secure lifetime Wi-Fi access anywhere in the country. The offer reportedly persuaded a large number of people to transfer money before the fraud could be verified. No such scheme exists under the Government of India.

The Raid and Arrests

Acting on intelligence from a confidential source, detectives from the Kolkata Police raided the call centre on Wednesday. Six individuals, including five women, were taken into custody during the operation. Among those arrested is Krishnendu Saha, identified by police as the manager of the call centre.

During the search, investigators seized multiple mobile phones, laptops, a large customer database and a written script that telecallers reportedly used to persuade victims. The recovery of a structured script and an extensive database suggests the operation was premeditated and ran for a considerable period before detection.

Scale of Fraud and Victims

Preliminary investigations indicate that the victims came from different parts of the country, with a significant proportion from Kolkata itself. Police have not yet placed a confirmed figure on the total amount defrauded, though investigators reportedly suspect the losses run to crores of rupees.

The arrested persons are currently being questioned to establish the full scope of the racket — including how many individuals were defrauded, what the total collections amounted to, and whether the accused had accomplices or organisational backing beyond the call centre.

Investigation Under Way

Investigators are examining the seized electronic devices and customer records to identify additional victims and trace fund flows. Police are also working to determine whether the fraudsters operated exclusively from the Dalhousie premises or had links to other locations.

This case is part of a broader pattern of cyber-enabled government-scheme frauds that have been rising across India, where scammers exploit public awareness of genuine welfare programmes — such as PM-WANI, BharatNet or Ayushman Bharat — to design convincing but entirely fake alternatives. With the probe ongoing, further arrests are possible as the investigation widens.