The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a syndicate involved in a sophisticated international tech-support fraud and extortion racket, operating through fake call centres and offices across Punjab and Delhi. The CBI conducted raids in the intervening night of 5th and 6th August at ten locations across Punjab and Delhi including a fake call centre running at the premises of the main accused (kingpin) at Mohali, Punjab.
As per the agency, the members of the syndicate headed by the kingpin targeted mainly USA nationals and posed online as representatives of Microsoft, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies. They deployed pop-ups on computer screens showing counterfeit Microsoft toll-free numbers that directly connected victims to fraudulent call centers run by the syndicate. The accused would then mislead the victims into transferring money under the guise of repairing their systems. Likewise, they falsely alleged that their targets were implicated in grave offences such as child pornography, coercing them into making crypto-currency ransom payments through crypto-currency ATMs. These proceeds of crime were later laundered through operators based in Delhi.
During the searches, CBI has seized incriminating material including more than 20 mobile phones, 15 laptops and tablets, multiple hard disk, pen drives, memory cards, huge amounts of cash, incriminating documents, and crypto wallets. The Agency informed that the main accused, along with his three accomplices, have been arrested.
CBI unearths international tech-support fraud and extortion racket in Punjab
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a syndicate involved in a sophisticated international tech-support fraud and extortion racket, operating through fake call centres and offices across Punjab and Delhi. The CBI conducted raids in the intervening night of 5th and 6th August at ten locations across Punjab and Delhi including a fake call centre running at the premises of the main accused (kingpin) at Mohali, Punjab.
As per the agency, the members of the syndicate headed by the kingpin targeted mainly USA nationals and posed online as representatives of Microsoft, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies. They deployed pop-ups on computer screens showing counterfeit Microsoft toll-free numbers that directly connected victims to fraudulent call centers run by the syndicate. The accused would then mislead the victims into transferring money under the guise of repairing their systems. Likewise, they falsely alleged that their targets were implicated in grave offences such as child pornography, coercing them into making crypto-currency ransom payments through crypto-currency ATMs. These proceeds of crime were later laundered through operators based in Delhi.
During the searches, CBI has seized incriminating material including more than 20 mobile phones, 15 laptops and tablets, multiple hard disk, pen drives, memory cards, huge amounts of cash, incriminating documents, and crypto wallets. The Agency informed that the main accused, along with his three accomplices, have been arrested.
