In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has dismantled an illegal call centre operating from a residential flat in the national capital. The racket was allegedly involved in a sophisticated scheme to defraud citizens of the United States by impersonating customer support executives.
The Midnight Raid in North Delhi
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team from the Crime Branch conducted a raid late at night at a flat located in north Delhi's Gujarawala Town. The operation was launched around 11:45 pm. The flat, which consisted of three rooms and a drawing area, became the centre of the police action.
Upon entering, officials found one individual present in the drawing room. Two other rooms within the flat were locked from the inside. Despite repeated requests from the police, the person found failed to cooperate or provide any explanation for the activities happening behind the locked doors.
Modus Operandi of the Scam
During a search, the police recovered a key from the drawing area and proceeded to open one of the locked rooms. Inside, six individuals were found actively operating laptops and mobile phones. Initial interrogation revealed the intricate details of their operation.
The accused used toll-free numbers to receive calls from US nationals. Leveraging Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology and remote-access applications, they would gain control of the victims' computers or devices. The callers, posing as technical or customer service executives, would falsely warn the victims about critical software bugs and security threats to their bank accounts.
After instilling fear, they would coerce the victims into purchasing cryptocurrency—primarily bitcoins—under the pretext of securing their funds. The scammers engaged callers in lengthy conversations to build trust and confidence before executing their fraudulent scheme.
Ownership and Ongoing Investigation
In total, seven people were apprehended during the raid. Police investigations indicate that the illegal call centre was owned and managed by three individuals and had been operational since September. The accused claimed their work involved handling calls from US citizens through these toll-free numbers, which were generated under the guise of legitimate tech support services.
The Delhi Police has seized all electronic equipment, including laptops and mobile phones, for forensic examination. Further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the network, identify the masterminds, and ascertain the total amount of money swindled from US citizens.
This bust highlights the ongoing challenge of cross-border cyber fraud and the sophisticated methods, like VoIP spoofing, employed by criminals. It also underscores the proactive role of intelligence-based policing in tackling such organised cybercrime rings operating from within the country.
