India: Scam Call Centres

Lord Naseby Excerpts

Tuesday 21st April 2020 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Naseby]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of India to request the closure of call centres targeting British citizens with scams.

The Question was considered in a Virtual Proceeding via video call.

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of Trafford) (Con)]

My Lords, the Government take fraud very seriously and are committed to combatting it. The City of London Police, which is the national lead force for fraud, has partnered with law enforcement and industry to combat call centre fraud from India and other jurisdictions. UK authorities continue to work with their Indian counterparts on a case-by-case basis to target criminals responsible for defrauding members of the public and businesses.

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

Is the Minister aware that I have lived, worked and visited India, and I know both good and rogue call centres there? The BBC recently exposed call centres that target UK elderly people, saying that their computer is frozen and giving them a phone number for technical support that will unfreeze it in return for payment. These are vulnerable people who are currently in self-isolation. They are elderly people with no family support and are worried stiff that they will lose their only means of visual communication, so they pay up. Will the Minister urgently link up with the City of London Police fraud action force and the National Crime Agency to put real pressure on the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation to act on this matter?

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

Minister. I was going to add “Baroness Williams of Trafford”, because I did not introduce you the first time.