84 arrested in Noida call center swindle

Noida: A cyber fraud operation was dismantled in Noida on Wednesday, after police 84 arrested in Noida individuals recently, 38 amongst them were women. The suspects exploited leaked American social security numbers by assuming the identity of US Social Security Administration representatives and made voice calls to the citizens.

Those arrested were proficient a managing BPO functions and went through meticulous training to speak in an American accent, also imitating American speech patterns. The hub of this operation was reportedly situated in Sector 6.

The young individuals were given a script that they would have to learn in two days, followed by a performance assessment on the third day to test their proficiency.

Method of operation

DCP Harish Chander said, “The duo started the call centre four months ago. The 84 employees were aware of the fraud but had neither informed the cops nor quit the job because of the high incentives they drew.”

The call centre used software like eyeBeam and VICIdial. They sent voice messages warning individuals of ‘suspicious activity’ on their social security number (SSN) leading to its suspension. They asked the targets to call back on a specific number and then ask for their details, and then scared them with crimes linked to their social security numbers, like drug trafficking, money laundering and vehicle-related fraud.

The culprits would then ask for their bank details, and tell the victims that their calls were being transferred to the US Marshals Service. “After the call was transferred, another person linked to the fraud introduced himself or herself as an officer from the US Marshals and told the victim to save their money in the form of cryptocurrency or gift cards as their bank account would be seized,” added the DCP.

When the victims opted for crypto, the accused shared a code. This code would enable the latter to transfer all the victim’s money into the accused’s account.

According to Noida police, this operation brought in ₹40 lakh per day. The culprits established contact with around 400,000 American citizens and managed to scam more than 600 individuals. The ringmasters of this operation, Harshit Kumar and Yogesh Pandit are currently on the run. The police are currently investigating more into this matter.

The police have seized 150 computers, multiple documents, ₹20 lakh in cash and a Creta. The seized computers are currently being checked by forensic and cyber teams. The entire staff is booked under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), along with sections of the IT ACT.