Sunday, 27 June 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Accused used to dupe US citizens posing as software customer service professionals
Achieving success against organised cyber crime, the Special Task Force (STF) Uttarakhand bust an operation in which two accused were arrested in Dehradun for allegedly defrauding American citizens while posing as customer care service providers for their computers.
The deputy inspector general (Law and Order/STF) Nilesh Anand Bharne informed that the STF had been receiving information for some time about a fake call centre being operated from the Patelnagar area of Dehradun. The STF team raided a flat from which the racket was being operated near SGRR PG College at night. On being questioned, the two persons found in the flat said that they used to pose as customer care officers and offer to repair technical glitches in the computers of American citizens. Two toll-free numbers had been procured for the purpose which were connected to a software which displayed these numbers when an US citizen made a Google search for system/device repair. The operators in Dehradun used to contact such people and make them install remote access software on their devices after which they used to charge between US $ 100 to US $ 900 for repairing the device. Some of the people targeted used to pay by cheques which were deposited in the account of their US resident accomplice named Melissa who used to deduct her commission and send the remaining amount to their bank account in Delhi. The two accused nabbed by the STF in Dehradun- Vaibhav Gupta and Sood Khan were found to have about Rs 1.10 crore in total in three different bank accounts. After probing this and communicating with the bank officials, the STF got the money frozen. The STF is also communicating with the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies regarding the amount. In addition to this, communication will be undertaken through the Interpol regarding the involvement of US based Royal Credit Union and Quibical Technical Services. The accused in Dehradun spent their ill gotten gains to buy a Rs 60 lakh unit in Queens Court Apartment near ISBT and a Kia Seltos car costing Rs 16 lakh apart from splurging on other activities and items. A case has been registered in the Patelnagar police station under IPC sections 420, 120 B and IT Act sections 66D and 75.
It is pertinent to mention here this is the third such racket bust by the STF this year. The STF has been focusing specially on fake international call centres being used by cyber criminals to target people in different locations.
