Gurugram’s Cyber Police dismantled a fraudulent call centre operating out of two flats in the Flora Avenue Society in Sohna. The raid, part of Operation Endgame, led to the arrest of 20 individuals, including four women, who were caught red-handed.
Diverse Suspects and Seized Items
The suspects, who come from various states including Gujarat, West Bengal, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, as well as the neighboring country of Nepal, were found scamming international citizens under the pretense of offering technical support. Authorities seized 25 phones, 16 laptops, and Rs 50,000 in cash during the operation.
Unveiling the Scam
The Cyber Crime South Police Station team, led by Inspector Madan Lal, conducted the nighttime raid on flats A-20, A-21, and A-22 in the Flora Avenue 33 Society. The investigation revealed a sophisticated scam orchestrated by Mahendra Bajrang Singh, a resident of Ahmedabad, who managed the fake call centre. Singh and his team had been running the operation since May 2024.
#Operation_EndGame#गुरुग्राम_पुलिस द्वारा चलाए जा रहे OPERATION ENDGAME के तहत कार्यवाही करते हुए 9वे फर्जी कॉल सेंटर का किया पर्दाफाश।
आरोपी अवैध रूप से कॉल सेंटर का संचालन करके तकनीकी सहायता देने के नाम पर विदेशी मूल के लोगों से ठगी करने वारदातों को देते थे अंजाम।
कॉल… pic.twitter.com/RvgIfMYgOg
— Gurugram Police (@gurgaonpolice) August 24, 2024
How the Scam Operated
The accused used a technique involving pop-ups sent to international users’ computers through vendors. These pop-ups, which featured a toll-free number, directed users to the call centre via a VOIP app. Posing as technicians from reputable companies, they remotely accessed users’ systems by persuading them to download the Ultra Viewer app. Once they gained access, they falsely claimed that the user’s computer had been hacked. They then extracted payments through gift cards ranging from $100 to $500, which were later converted into cryptocurrency by accomplices in other countries.
Arrests and Locations
Among those arrested are Mahendra Bajrang Singh from Ahmedabad, Ashish Ojha from Darjeeling, and Minlun from Churachandpur (Manipur). Others include Vikhombou Chawang and Minbaite from Imphal (Manipur), Amor Abonmai, Athihari Lohri, Kangpokpi, Vidanwang, and Namchumbo from Nagaland, Kifine, Achele, and Lunglei from Mizoram, as well as K Lalbikjuali, Shreya, and Manish from Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh). Monu Kumar from Delhi and Ramesh Gurung, Vinod Sharma, and Shiv Bahadur Thapa from Nepal were also taken into custody.
