In today’s Finshots we talk about the great Indian call centre scam
The Story
Jim Browning. Pierogi. Kitboga.
They’re all YouTubers with millions of subscribers.
But there’s something else that ties them together.
They’re all ‘scam baiters’ —people who engage in a form of internet vigilantism. They first identify fraudulent schemes and pretend to be a gullible customer. Once the scammer starts spinning their web of lies, these people turn the tables and hack into their systems. Often even accessing webcams and gathering evidence that could potentially incriminate the scammers and shut down the operation.
They aren’t always successful but the work they do has undeniably helped thousands of people.
But if you’re wondering why on earth we are talking about scammers and scam baiters now, well…here’s the unfortunate reality. Most of the scammers come from India! According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Indian scammers have fleeced gullible Americans of a whopping $10 billion in 2022. Think Netflix series Jamtara but featuring American victims.
And how do these scammers go about their nefarious scheme?
Step 1: Pick a name that no one will suspect — like how one scam centre in Bengaluru was called Ethical Infotech Pvt Ltd.
Step 2: Take up space on lease in a residential or commercial neighbourhood in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata. Either trick the landlord into believing that you’re a legit enterprise. Or work in…
