BPO fraud: Now mastermind lands in con trap

In an interesting twist to the $4.25-lakh BPO fraud, sources said the mastermind of the racket, MphasiS BPO team manager Maurelene Fernandes...

In an interesting twist to the $4.25-lakh BPO fraud, sources said the mastermind of the racket, MphasiS BPO team manager Maurelene Fernandes, had herself been cheated of Rs 95,000.

Sources told Express that Fernandes after siphoning off lakhs of rupees from the four US citizens’ Citibank accounts, had invested Rs 95,000 in a Kasarwadi-based IT firm — San-Indos Software — in January. The IT firm, promising data entry and photoshop jobs, had lured people to invest in it.

After a year in operation, the firm suddenly shut shop in mid-March, leaving nearly 6,000 investors in the lurch.

Story continues below this ad

Fernandes was among one of the investors who had hoped for some quick returns.

While the police have arrested one of the partners of the IT firm, Nepali citizen Sangram Dhami, two other partners are still absconding.

Sources said Fernandes — along with Ivan Thomas, Narendra Yadav, Anand Karnavat and Ashishkumar Thakur — had siphoned off Rs 32.89 lakh from the Citibank accounts. The police are questioning Fernandes and Yadav, who have been remanded to police custody till April 21, on how they spent the money.

On Monday, the police had told the court that Fernandes repaid Rs 1.5 lakh towards a home loan, while Yadav claimed he had given Rs 1.5 lakh to his father. The duo also spent over Rs 40,000 on buying jewellery for Yadav’s marriage.

Story continues below this ad

The police have so far arrested 16 people in connection with the case.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the designation gives law enforcement “enhanced powers to combat a group that has instilled fear through violence and intimidation”.

Canada designates Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity

Cities7 hr ago

The Canadian government has labeled the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group, granting authorities more authority to combat their violent behavior. The gang, operating in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, has been connected to 50+ violent incidents since 2023.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS