Nine individuals were arrested by the Cyberabad Police for operating a fake call centre from a rented villa in Bachupally, targeting unsuspecting victims in both India and the United States under the guise of customer support representatives from reputed financial platforms including PayPal, Geek Squad, and other credit card companies. The operation was unearthed by the Medchal Special Operation Team (SOT) and cybercrime police following intelligence inputs.The arrested accused, all natives of Kolkata, West Bengal, 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. They had relocated to Cyberabad with the promise of high salaries, commissions, and free accommodation. A few more suspects involved in the operation remain absconding, and efforts are underway to trace them.Investigations revealed that the gang was operating a full-fledged illegal call centre, receiving inbound VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls from victims using apps like Zoiper, X-Lite, and Microsoft Teams, which were triggered via phishing emails.These emails impersonated major platforms such as PayPal, Geek Squad, and credit card services, falsely warning recipients of unauthorised transactions. When the victims responded, the accused, trained to speak fluently in English using scripted dialogues, convinced them to install remote access tools such as AnyDesk. Once they accessed the victims’ systems, they harvested sensitive data including bank credentials, transaction histories, and passwords.Victims, many of whom were senior citizens and women, were threatened with bogus criminal charges like drug trafficking or the leaking of personal photographs if they refused to cooperate. In some cases, the fraudsters impersonated police officers or judicial authorities to create panic and extract money.The gang also used fake banking apps, spoofed emails, and social engineering tactics for frauds. The police recovered 22 mobile phones, 10 laptops, multiple headsets, and a full VOIP call setup from the location. It was further revealed that the gang had recently shifted from another villa in SVS Aparna, Bachupally, after raising suspicion among residents.A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, 2008. Police are in the process of identifying additional victims, recovering defrauded funds, and dismantling the digital infrastructure used by the group.The cybercrime police advised the public not to respond to suspicious emails or calls claiming to be from customer service teams. Verification should always be made through official sources, and any suspected cyber fraud should be reported immediately by dialling 1930 or contacting the nearest cybercrime police station.Published - July 19, 2025 08:29 pm IST