Srinagar: Police’s Counter Intelligence Wing (CIK) has busted a highly sophisticated international cyber fraud racket by arresting seven persons here, officials said on Thursday.
The officials said that the CIK-CID received several technical and credible inputs regarding the operation of “covert call centres” involved in fraudulent online activities targeting both foreign and local nationals.
“Specialised teams comprising technical experts and field operatives were constituted which carried out systematic surveillance, digital intelligence gathering and verification across multiple locations, ultimately identifying a key operational hub at the Industrial Area, Rangreth, Srinagar,” they said.
Subsequently, a CIK team conducted a swift and well-coordinated raid in different parts of Srinagar city on Wednesday. During the raid, seven suspects were apprehended on the spot, and a large quantity of digital and communication equipment was seized. The seized devices include 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, SIM cards and networking devices, and digital storage media, officials stated.
The seized material contains “substantial incriminating evidence, clearly indicating a highly organised and technologically advanced criminal setup”, they added.
According to initial investigations, the accused are part of a “larger, well-coordinated cybercrime syndicate with connections extending beyond Jammu and Kashmir”, officials stated.
“Part of the network was specifically designed to target victims in countries such as the USA, UK, and Canada, operate through international communication masking technologies, use psychological manipulation and impersonation tactics and launder money through modern digital and cryptocurrency channels,” officials informed.
Explaining the technical modus operandi, officials said the accused had established a covert, unregistered call centre infrastructure using VoIP-based systems, enabling them to generate international virtual numbers, mask their real location using server routing and spoofing techniques, and appear as legitimate service providers to unsuspecting victims.
International calls were being generated and routed through this call centre. A fake YahooMail.com website and Google advertisements were used to target victims, they said.
“Individuals across multiple countries were approached through organised call operations and online phishing ads. Once a victim clicked on the advertisement, a toll-free number appeared on their screen. This toll-free number was operated by the suspects, who then deceived innocent people into providing their banking and other personal details,” the officials said.
They added that funds were subsequently transferred into various accounts, including mule accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, primarily USDT.
“The illicit proceeds were further layered, converted, and withdrawn to conceal their origin. Victims were contacted and deceived into believing that their devices or bank accounts were compromised and they needed to pay for technical support or avoid penalties,” they said.
“The fraudulently obtained money was then transferred through banking channels, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency, routed through mule accounts. It was subsequently converted into USDT and other cryptocurrencies, layered multiple times to evade detection and tracing. Notably, no cash transactions were involved, underscoring the fully digital and sophisticated nature of this crime,” officials said.
The transactions carried so far seem to be running in several crores, they added.
A case has been registered under relevant laws, including charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and pertinent sections of the Information Technology Act.
“Follow-up raids are being conducted to apprehend additional suspects. Forensic analysis of seized devices is underway, and efforts are ongoing to identify victims and trace financial flows,” they said.
Investigations into the wider network, including national and international connections, are continuing, officials noted.
