‘Escort services’ fraud: Gujarat man contacts cops as first witness in case

Crime Branch officers added that six websites that accused were running claimed to offer a variety of ‘escort services’.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Monday found its first witness in connection with the alleged racket busted last week, where people were lured into paying money with the promise of providing ‘escort services’. The witness, a Gujarat-resident, is significant to the case, as the other victims of the racket have been reluctant to report the matter to the police fearing ‘embarrassment’, enabling the racket to flourish for four years.

On Thursday last week, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch had arrested three accused from the Mulund-Bhandup area, who were allegedly running websites offering ‘escort services’ to those interested.

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The accused would allegedly convince their ‘clients’ to transfer money into their accounts and withdraw the money immediately, without providing any of the services offered. Due to the fear of disrepute, the victims refrained from complaining to the police, and the matter only came to light when one such victim made an anonymous phone call the Crime Branch last week.

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“We have been contacted by a Gujarat resident, who has told us that he contacted the accused after seeing their website. The accused told him that they could provide escorts to any place in Gujarat, and convinced him to pay Rs 79,000 in several installments before he finally realised that he was being taken for a ride,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni.

The Gujarat resident is the first witness that the police have in this case. All other victims of the racket found it too ‘embarrassing’ to come forward and report the matter to the police. The police will soon be recording his statement to find out more about the racket.

Crime Branch officers added that the six websites that the accused were running claimed to offer a variety of ‘escort services’.

“The accused, on their websites, claimed that they could offer ‘escorts’ from various sectors, including women from film industry, air hostesses and teenagers, and that the escort could be sent to any place in any city. Further investigations have also revealed that the accused are part of a well organised racket. Only one of them is well educated and can speak impressive English, and he was given the job of interacting with the victims and convincing them to pay money. The others are all school drop-outs. The mastermind of the racket, who is still at large, had even established a proper monthly salary system for all the accused,” said a Crime Branch officer.

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The Crime Branch is currently interrogating the arrested accused and trying to identify and apprehend the mastermind, said officers.

gautam.mengle@expresindia.com

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