The West Bengal CID has arrested 16 women from Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district for allegedly duping people of lakhs of rupees by promising them phone numbers of other women, agency officials said on Friday.
State Crime Investigation Department (CID) sleuths on Thursday night raided a building from where a "call centre- styled friendship agency" was operating and seized several SIM cards from the arrested persons, a senior officer of the agency said.
The raid was conducted following a complaint that a call centre was offering "friendship" with women, he said.
"During the investigation, it was found that phone calls were made to random numbers by women callers from a call centre-styled friendship agency in Madhyamgram.
"The callers used to promise phone numbers of women upon payment of an amount," the officer said.
However, the customers never received any phone numbers and complained of being "cheated", he said.
"We are trying to find out whether this was the only such call centre operating in the district or they have links with other such rackets. We have also launched a manhunt to nab the owner of the raided call centre," he added.