New Delhi – Delhi Police have arrested 18 people in a nationwide scam targeting State Bank of India (SBI) credit card holders, with losses estimated at nearly ₹2.6 crore.
The accused allegedly obtained confidential customer data from insiders at a Gurugram-based call centre, posed as bank executives, and tricked victims into sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) and card verification values (CVVs). A six-month-long investigation led to their arrests.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar, the gang used stolen credentials to purchase electronic gift cards from online platforms, which were then sold to travel agents. The money trail was laundered through cash transactions and cryptocurrency channels, primarily Tether (USDT).
The investigation revealed that insiders at the authorised Card Protection Plan (CPP) call centre, Teleperformance in Gurugram, were responsible for leaking sensitive SBI customer data. The stolen details were exploited immediately to buy high-value e-gift cards, later converted into cash or cryptocurrency.
The syndicate operated across multiple states but deliberately avoided targeting customers in Delhi. Police identified Ankit Rathi, Waseem, and Vishal Bhardwaj as the masterminds of the fraud, while call centre employees Vishesh Lahori and Durgesh Dhakad allegedly facilitated the data leaks. Several other associates, including finance handlers and SIM card suppliers, were also arrested.
During the raids, police recovered 52 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, and confidential banking details of customers. The case has raised serious concerns about large-scale data breaches at Teleperformance and the potential risks to banking security nationwide.
