Int’l online fraud network busted; 12 techies arrested

Lucknow: PGI police claimed to have busted a sophisticated international online fraud network following the arrest of 12 techies, all B.Tech and BE degree holders with a common goal of making quick money, from an apartment in the Vrindavan Yojana of Lucknow on Saturday.
Those arrested were identified as Chandan alias Ricky (40) from Kanpur, Mohan Shyam Sharma (24) from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, Utkarsh (33) from Thakurganj, Neeraj Kumar (33) from Raebareli, Karan Singh (28) from Hazratganj, Tarun Gupta (24) from Sant Kabir Nagar, Neeraj Pandey (27) from Delhi, Siddharth Kashyap (24) from Gonda, Rituraj Gupta (27) from Aliganj, Somnath Singh (29) from Bahraich, Virat Kumar (26) from Chandauli, and Ramjanak (49) from Basti.
Police recovered laptops from different brands, each potentially linked to various victims, along with a tablet, airfiber units, and routers that enabled seamless internet access for uninterrupted calls, as well as headphones, mobile phones, and other devices that served as tools of their trade.
"It was not a routine raid; it delves into the intricate workings of cybercriminals who masterfully manipulate their victims," said DCP, East, Shashank Singh, claiming that the accused meticulously crafted malware to generate alarming pop-up errors in the computer systems of foreign nationals, particularly those in the US, UK, and Canada, drawing them into a web of deceit.
"Unsuspecting victims, mostly from the US, UK, and Canada, would then call the phone numbers displayed on their screens, seeking technical help. The fraudsters, posing as support agents, exploited this vulnerability and, to appear genuine, spoke like native speakers," he said.
"Using remote access software, they would gain control of the victims' computers, siphoning off large sums of money from their bank accounts. These funds were often transferred through cryptocurrency or converted into gift cards. At the time of their arrest, the scammers were in the midst of operating their con, engaging with foreign nationals through internet-based agent callers and continuing their fraudulent activities," the DCP added.