After the arrest of 119 people from the Summit Building, another major international cyber fraud network has been uncovered in Lucknow. This time, a fake call centre operating from four flats in Omaxe R-2 Society on Shaheed Path was busted. In a late-night joint operation by the Crime Branch and Cyber Cell on Thursday, seven cyber criminals were arrested.
According to police, the accused were targeting US citizens through digital arrest scams and had allegedly duped American victims of more than Rs 200 crore in the last eight months.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Yadav said the network operating from Omaxe R-2 was like a “mini Jamtara”. The gang posed as Microsoft support executives and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officials to trap US citizens and extract money from them.
American Woman’s Data Recovered
During the raid, police recovered data related to an American woman named Doris, who was allegedly cheated of around USD 70,000 (approximately Rs 70 lakh). During questioning, the accused revealed that victims who fell into their trap were often left with their bank accounts completely drained.
The gang used advanced technology, VOIP calling systems and specialised software to obtain personal data of American citizens. They then sent fake virus-infected pop-ups and malware links to victims’ computers.
When victims contacted the toll-free numbers displayed in these pop-ups, the accused pretended to be Microsoft support representatives. They scared people by claiming that their bank accounts, digital wallets, or Social Security numbers were involved in criminal activities and that they could face arrest.
Later, the calls were transferred to another gang member posing as an FTC or cybersecurity official to increase fear and credibility. The accused also sent fake government documents, court orders, identity theft reports and FTC letters through emails.
After gaining victims’ trust, they remotely accessed computers using applications like TeamViewer and UltraViewer and collected banking details. Police found that the gang usually avoided direct bank transfers. Instead, victims were forced to buy Amazon and Walmart gift cards.
For larger amounts, cash and gold were collected through associates in the US. The money was later converted through cryptocurrency and digital vouchers to hide the transaction trail.
Operation Similar To Summit Building case
ADCP Crime Kiran Yadav said the Omaxe call centre operated similarly to the international cyber fraud centre previously exposed in Summit Building. Both networks recruited young people from different states, especially those with good English-speaking skills and BPO experience.
The gang also arranged accommodation and food for employees but did not provide appointment letters or official contracts. Police are now investigating their connections through call records and other evidence. The team involved in the operation has also been awarded a cash reward of Rs 25,000.
Items Recovered From Accused
The accused have been identified as Puneet Kumar Verma and Deepen Chandra Kant Patel from Ahmedabad, and Md. Sohail, Md. Shahnawaz, Md. Imran, Md Riyaz and Sajjad Hussain from Kolkata.
Police recovered eight laptops, nine mobile phones, nine headphones, four Wi-Fi routers, along with foreign nationals’ data, calling scripts, email templates and fake documents from the accused.