More than 60 people, some from as far as Nashik and Kolhapur, have called the Mumbai police since Saturday, saying they were victims of a fake insurance scam.
The crime branch, which has arrested eight people in connection with the case so far, will contact these people to record their statements.
Many people have submitted written complaints to their local police stations. “Their statements will help us collect evidence against the accused,” said a crime branch official.
The scam came to light after a Malad resident approached the crime branch in February, saying he had paid Rs22 lakh to fraudsters between April 2015 and February 2017.
The man works at a private firm. He had sold his house to pay the accused after they promised him high returns within a month, added the official.
Acting on the complaint, the police traced the accused’s phone to Noida and nabbed Kaptan Singh Chauhan alias Bobby, 26, Ashish Gupta, 30, Anilsinh Ranawat, 24, Rajnathsinh Chauhan, 19, Harish Goswami, 28, Raja Tiwari, 20, Rinku Solanki, 24, and Upendra Badoriya, 24 there. They were produced in court and remanded in police custody.
A few of those who have contacted the police do not want them to register a complaint. “A 42-year-old woman from Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu was also lured with the promise of high returns. She had deposited Rs 21 lakh in the accused’s bank account in several instalments. She does not want us to file a complaint as she has not told her family about her financial losses,” said a crime branch officer. He added that a Chembur resident, who was duped of Rs2 lakh, was initially unwilling to register a complaint, but has now changed his mind.
