Police in UP’s Gautam Buddha Nagar made a significant breakthrough by dismantling a fake call center in Sector-16, Noida. Sixteen individuals were apprehended for engaging in cyber fraud activities. The gang targeted foreign nationals through online ads, instilling fear of hacking and data theft to defraud them.
The operation was conducted based on local intelligence and technical insights. Seized items from the accused included 4 laptops, 15 desktops, 15 monitors, 16 mobile phones, 16 microphone-headsets, 2 routers, and a modem. The gang had been orchestrating organized cyber fraud schemes for an extended period.
Investigations revealed that the accused lured victims by running paid ads on social media, displaying toll-free numbers. By posing as technical support agents, they convinced victims of computer hacking, gaining access to their systems through screen-sharing applications to extract banking information. The victims were coerced into paying amounts ranging from $100 to $500 or more.
The fraudulently obtained money was converted into cryptocurrency, funneled through hawala channels, and distributed among the accused. Analysis of seized devices uncovered transactions worth crores of rupees. A case has been filed at the Cyber Crime Police Station under relevant sections of the BNS and the IT Act. Efforts are underway to identify other network members and potential victims.
