CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a sophisticated international tech-support fraud and extortion racket operating through fake call centres and offices across Punjab and Delhi. The syndicate allegedly targeted US nationals, coercing them into making ransom payments in cryptocurrency. Four accused have been arrested in connection with the case.
The agency said the syndicate, headed by the alleged kingpin, primarily targeted US citizens by posing as representatives of Microsoft, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies. The fraudsters deployed pop-ups on victims' computer screens displaying fake Microsoft toll-free numbers, which connected them directly to fraudulent call centres operated by the syndicate.
"The accused misled victims into transferring money on the pretext of repairing their computer systems. They also falsely claimed that victims were implicated in serious offences, including child pornography, and coerced them into making cryptocurrency ransom payments through cryptocurrency ATMs. The defrauded cryptocurrency was routed through multiple crypto wallets and transferred out of the US. The proceeds of crime were subsequently laundered through operators based in Delhi," the CBI said in a statement.
The CBI conducted overnight raids on August 5 at 10 locations across Punjab and Delhi, including a fake call centre operating from the residence of the alleged kingpin, Sourabh Rana, in Mohali, Punjab.
Apart from Rana, the arrested accused have been identified as Indermohan Singh, Harneet Singh and Jappandeep Singh.
During the searches, the agency seized incriminating material, including more than 20 mobile phones, 15 laptops and tablets, multiple hard disks, pen drives and memory cards, a large amount of cash, incriminating documents and cryptocurrency wallets.
An FIR has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
According to the CBI, a Florida resident was duped in 2022 after fraudsters falsely claimed that her personal and financial information had been compromised and that illegal material had been planted on her computer. Under pressure, she deposited around USD 440,000 through multiple transactions into a Bitcoin ATM. The funds were routed to a specific wallet address and subsequently transferred to accounts controlled by the accused.
In another case, a New Jersey resident was similarly targeted in 2023. She was falsely told that her computer had been compromised and that unknown entities were accessing her banking details. Coerced into compliance, she deposited approximately USD 130,000 into Bitcoin ATMs.
