In news which could yield a big blow to the reputation of Hyderabad being recognized as a BPO hub in India, the police today blew the lid of a credit card fraud affecting an international company. The credit card fraud involving American Express credit cards of foreigners, with information being leaked by call centre employees was busted by the police. The police have arrested eight youths in connection with this case, and feel that there will be plenty more involved with the case. The development is also likely to have an adverse impact on the call centres’ operations in Hyderabad.

The methodology used by the gang of eight, who were in custody of Hyderabad police was to get the American Express international credit card details of foreigners, which was supplied to them by the call centre employees. With that information the arrested persons used to pay power, water and property tax bills for people. So far, the gang had paid over 350 bills online involving a sum of Rs. 10 lakh, the Commissioner’s Task Force DCP V.B. Kamalasan Reddy told a press conference.

Members of the gang used to approach individuals, who had received huge water and other bills, assuring to clear the full bills even if half the bill amount was given to them. After collecting the bill copy, the gang members would pay the amount online using the credit card number and code of the foreigner they had secured through their agents working in call centres. Mohd. Moulana, 19, working in Nirnay Technologies call centre at Chaitanyapuri, was one such agent. “I am not connected to the gang that fraudulently made the online payments. But I passed on one customer’s credit card data to one of them,” he said at a media conference held by the police.