Lucknow: Nearly two weeks after busting a ‘Mini-Jamtara’ centre operating from Gomtinagar’s Summit building, the Lucknow crime branch has expanded its investigation beyond India, tracing US toll-free helpline numbers allegedly used to target American citizens and uncovering fresh financial and corporate links linked to the racket.According to ADCP (crime) Kiran Yadav, the fraud was part of a cross-border network in which operators based in the US allegedly obtained toll-free numbers and shared them with Indian handlers through WhatsApp groups. The Indian callers then circulated bulk SMS messages asking American citizens to contact the toll-free helplines for assistance or to resolve purported issues.Police said victims were more likely to trust the calls because toll-free numbers are commonly used by legitimate businesses in the US. During the probe, the crime branch identified a toll-free number series beginning with +1-888-624-XXXX, allegedly linked to the operation. The details will be shared with US authorities through UP Police headquarters for further action.Investigators said the information could help American agencies obtain subscriber and technical records from organisations that manage and monitor toll-free telecom services and suspicious call activity.The probe has also revealed a fresh corporate angle. While the call centre functioned under the name Solaris Solution, the Summit building office had been leased in the name of Xicom Technologies, which police claim is linked to arrested accused Nayakar Jayaraj. Officers are examining whether multiple companies were used to mask the ownership and functioning of the alleged fraud network.On Jul 1, Lucknow Police raided the call centre and arrested 119 people, exposing what officers described as a “Mini-Jamtara” operating from the city.
