How BPO agents sell info for Rs 2

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Keywords: The Data Theft Scandal , Fraud

Mumbai: Tired of pesky phone calls from call centre executives seeking your details, trying to sell you credit cards, insurance policies or home loans?

Ever wondered where they get your personal mobile number from?

Well, your telephone number is only one of your little personal details up for sale.

Sensitive details like your investments in mutual funds, insurance and even your exposure to equity through your broker is out there for sale in a grey market – for as little as Rs two.

But how do these confidential details make it to the bazaar? The modus operandi is simple. Many companies and service providers outsource their customer feedback mechanism to various agencies.

The agency, in turn, publicises for openings through posters and stickers by specifying requirements, just like newspaper classifieds.

CNN-IBN’s investigation into this data theft scandal began with a chance encounter with a man called Ram Singh, wanting us to fill up an innocuous-looking questionnaire seeking details like address and mobile numbers.

When asked if he was willing to sell out sensitive client data for some money, he readily agreed and fixed up a time for a month later.

He kept his word and called us for a “meeting” in a dingy, one-room Mumbai apartment. He was in possession of various confidential client details and reluctantly admitted he had sold data on previous occasions as well.

“I have not really done this before, only twice. Yes, I had given data to a share broker. He paid me nearly Rs 1,500 for it,” he said.

Singh came to Mumbai 11 years ago, chasing Bollywood dreams.

While struggling for a break in the film industry, he answered a classified advertisement seeking “young and dynamic” employees and has since been gainfully employed in the “marketing” business.

When asked about the kind of data he sold out, Singh came up with startling details. “(I sold out) information about rich people. He wanted to get them to invest in stock markets. But the proposition for constant data flow seemed like good business,” he said.

Singh agreed to sell out more data to the CNN-IBN team for as little as Rs 200 as a "token" amount.

"That is why I will look out specially for you. If I get a job offer for insurance, then even if I'm working somewhere else, I will leave the job and take up the offer only to steal data for you," he said

He handed out files after files of sensitive customer data for a pittance. “So how much will you pay? One rupee or two rupees per name?” he asked

After some bargaining, Rs two per name was the price decided upon and Singh handed over nearly 150 identities and their personal details for Rs 300.