Hyderabad: Fake call centre duping Indians, Americans busted, 9 from West Bengal arrested

Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime police of Cyberabad busted a fake call centre operating from a villa in Bachupally and arrested nine persons for duping people in India and the United States under the guise of providing credit card and digital payment support.

Call centre busted

Based on credible information, the Special Operations Team (SOT) Medchal along with the Cyber Crime police conducted a raid and apprehended the accused who were operating the illegal call centre from a rented villa.

The gang posed as representatives of reputed payment platforms and financial institutions such as PayPal, Geek Squad, and various credit card companies to cheat unsuspecting victims.

Accused from West Bengal

The arrested accused were identified as Danish Alam, Md. Saheb Ali alias Sonu, Md. Fahad Pervez, Md. Aman Alam, Md. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Mohammed Mohsin, Farid Hussain, Md. Shadhab Alam, and Md. Sonu. All of them hail from West Bengal and had shifted to Cyberabad for this operation.

Police said a few more accused involved in the racket are absconding, and efforts are on to trace them.

Modus Operandi

According to police, the gang operated by making victims believe they were charged for fraudulent transactions. Phishing emails were sent with a helpline number, prompting victims to call back.

Using VOIP apps like Zoiper, X-Lite, and Microsoft Teams, the accused received calls, spoke in English with pre-written scripts, and gained the trust of victims.

They then persuaded victims to install remote access tools like AnyDesk to gain control of their systems, allowing them to collect financial details, bank transaction histories, and account credentials.

If victims resisted, they were threatened with fabricated allegations such as drug trafficking, nude photo leaks, or human trafficking. Senior citizens and women were specifically targeted, with the accused impersonating law enforcement or judicial officials to extort money.

Items seized

Police seized 22 mobile phones, 10 laptops, headsets, VOIP call setup equipment, and other accessories from the villa. The accused revealed they had shifted their operation from another villa in SVS Aparna, Bachupally, after locals grew suspicious of their activities.

Investigation continues

Cyberabad police are tracking the absconding members, identifying more victims, and working to recover the siphoned funds and digital infrastructure used in the fraud.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act for cyber offences, impersonation, extortion, and cheating.

Police Advisory

The Cyber Crime Police urged the public not to respond to suspicious emails or calls claiming to be from bank or e-commerce support teams.

Officials advised verifying such communication with official sources and reporting cyber frauds immediately to the Cyber Crime Police Station or by dialling 1930.