Call centre fraud in India is seen as a lucrative role, enabling fraudsters to live 'western lifestyles'
This type of fraud isn't particularly high-tech - it is carried out via simple tools, remote access and manipulation
The study calls for better public education and stronger cooperation from law enforcement
A new study led by the University of Portsmouth lifts the lid on the tactics used by call centre fraudsters in India, while revealing the shocking scale of the industry within the country.
Published in the Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime and funded by the UK Government Home Office and directed by Itad, the research uncovers the deceptive methods criminals use to target victims at scale - backed by more than 2.09 million confirmed fraud cases in the first half of 2025 alone.
Millions of individuals and organisations are victims of fraud each year, with criminals reported to have stolen £629.3 million in the first half of 2025 according to UK Finance, underscoring just how widespread the problem is.
The research highlights how criminal operations running out of call centres in India are targeting victims across areas, such as North America, Europe and Southeast Asia - and how, worryingly, this type of fraud has become accepted by some within the Indian call-centre industry as a legitimate career choice.
What's surprising is that most of this fraud isn't particularly high-tech - there's not much in the way of accent masking or disguise. It just comes down to simple tools, remote access and manipulation.
Dr Paul Gilmour, Lead author
It also revealed an unwritten rule among many of these operatives that those treating fraud as a career often deliberately avoid targeting people from their own background or nationality.
Lead author Dr Paul Gilmour from the University of Portsmouth's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime , said: "What's surprising is that most of this fraud isn't particularly high-tech - there's not much in the way of accent masking or disguise. It just comes down to simple tools, remote access and manipulation."
The study further found that several techniques, including social engineering - a form of manipulation where fraudsters exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities to trick people into handing over money, personal information, or access to their accounts - are being used by individuals in the call centres to build false trust, create urgency and impersonate authoritative figures to get victims to act.
Victims are being manipulated through fear and high-pressure tactics, leaving them feeling they had no choice but to comply.
The study also revealed that fraudsters posed as "trustworthy" organisations, such as Microsoft Windows support representatives, using tools such as pop-up warnings and phone calls to encourage those targeted to give into demands.
Dr Gilmour added: "The key findings centre around social engineering and the use of fear as a tactic. Technology plays a role, but primarily as an enabler - it's the means through which fraudsters gain access, once trust has been established.
"The research aims to equip the public with an understanding of how these scams work, the psychological tactics involved, and how remote access is used. Something as straightforward as knowing that Microsoft would never phone you out of the blue could genuinely protect someone from becoming a victim."
In India, recruitment often happens through agencies, drawing in many individuals including young people, some of whom genuinely believed they were joining a legitimate call centre.
"Lots of these operatives are young people. It's lucrative work, and for many, it represents an opportunity to attain the kind of Western lifestyle portrayed across social media", added Dr Gilmour.
The study suggests that tackling the problem requires both public education around these schemes and stronger cooperation from law enforcement.
