Tuesday, 13 AUGUST 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and cyber crime police in Uttarakhand conducted a major operation, busting an inter-state cyber fraud gang operating an illegal call centre in Dehradun. The operation, led by STF senior superintendent of police Ayush Agrawal, was initiated after receiving confidential information about the gang’s activities. The police action resulted in the arrest of two men involved in the scam, with international links extending to the USA and Canada. The SSP said that the accused were operating an unauthorised call centre from a private apartment in the Mount View Colony area near Sahastradhara Road. Posing as representatives from reputed companies like Microsoft and Apple, the gang targeted citizens in the USA and Canada. They would send deceptive pop-up messages to their targets, claiming that the victims’ systems were compromised by viewing pornographic content or due to child pornography. The victims were then tricked into believing that their bank accounts were at risk and that their systems were corrupt. Under the guise of offering technical assistance, the fraudsters extorted money from them, Agrawal said. He further said that acting on a tip-off on August 6, the STF team raided the location, but the suspects managed to flee. However, a subsequent operation on August 9, led to the arrest of two suspects, Gautam Bagoria and Tanishq Verma, at the Jogiwala barrier in Dehradun. During interrogation, the suspects admitted to operating the fraudulent call centre along with three other accomplices. The police seized various items, including three laptops, two mobile phones, two Wi-Fi routers and other equipment from the scene. Investigations revealed that the gang was also connected to other States like Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The SSP said that the arrested men have been charged under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. The STF teams are working to nab the absconding accused and dismantle their entire operation, he added.
