Illegal Call Centre Busted in Umhlanga as Authorities Investigate Banking Fraud

• Police in Umhlanga have raided a property suspected of operating as an illegal call centre linked to a multi-million rand banking scam
• Several suspects were arrested during the intelligence-led operation involving SAPS and metro police units
• The raid has also reignited public debate about call centre working conditions in South Afric

DURBAN —A police raid on a property in Umhlanga has added a new layer to an already heated national conversation about call centre working conditions—this time linking the industry to an alleged large-scale fraud operation.

Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), working with Metro Police’s Special Operations Directorate and the SAPS Tactical Response Team, descended on the premises following a months-long intelligence-driven investigation.

Authorities uncover illegal call centre

Journalist Desan Thathiah reported on X that police uncovered an alleged illegal call centre at the centre of a sophisticated banking scam. Authorities believe the operation functioned as a telephonic fraud hub, where unsuspecting victims were contacted and manipulated into handing over sensitive banking details. Millions of rand are believed to have been siphoned from multiple accounts.

Read also

SA weighs in after major explosives seizure at Beitbridge border post

Several suspects were arrested on-site, including foreign nationals, as officials and banking representatives worked together to secure evidence and assess the scale of the operation.

See post:

Call centres in the spotlight

The raid comes just days after a viral social media post by a call centre employee alleged harsh and dehumanising working conditions in the industry. The worker claimed staff were closely monitored and, in extreme cases, denied basic needs such as bathroom breaks.

While that earlier account referred to a separate workplace, the timing of the Umhlanga raid has intensified scrutiny, prompting questions about what may be happening behind closed doors in certain call centre environments.

South Africans weigh in on the raid

@Dlangamandlaa said:

"We're past compliments now when it comes to the KZN SAPS, we just respect and salute."

@Exotee said:

"This is what we call "intelligence driven investigations. The FIC and police were watching them from the sidelines while they thought they are smarter than the rest of us. Love such stories."

Read also

"Road safety is vital": Internet questions whether SAPS van was breaking road rules in video

@thabanisandile3 said:

"This what we call intelligence driven operation they managed to sniff them in their dungeon thumps up to men and women in blue."

@PureFaith3 said:

"Everyday SAPS KZN are doing something big towards crime fighing,that's how you do PR but more importantly how you send a message to would be criminals. Cops must be seen to be working just as the law must be seen to be done."

@AndreKroos1 said:

"The work ethic of KZN police is on another level. They are dedicated men and women. They are serving their province very well."

Police raid Pinetown factory

In similar news, a textile factory in Pinetown was raided on19 March 2026. Reports say the operation was carried out jointly by the SAPS eThekwini District Economic Infrastructure Task Team, Pinetown SAPS, Metro Police, and private security partners. Reports indicate that as many as 150 foreign nationals are being transported to the local police station to determine whether their papers are in order. Early indications suggest that these workers make up the majority of the factory’s staff.

Read also

"R3 won't hurt": 2 Petrol attendants filling JoJo Tanks with fuel divide South Africans

Briefly News also reported that the Department of Labour conducted a raid on a Devland store in Johannesburg, resulting in the arrests of fifteen illegal immigrants on 3 December 2025.The operation was part of a larger blitz initiative that involved collaboration between the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service (SAPS). The manager of the factory was also arrested during the raid, along with immigrants from Malawi, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and India.

Source: Briefly News