Exposed: Hyderabad's Fake Call Centre Scam Targeting Australians Uncovered by Cyberabad Police

The call centre, operating in Madhapur, posed as an IT service provider. (Representational)

Hyderabad:

Cyberabad Police have discovered a sophisticated international fake call centre that systematically defrauded Australian citizens of approximately Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore over a two-year period. The fraudulent operation, masquerading as "Ridge IT Solutions," was functioning from Hyderabad's Madhapur district.

The Cyberabad Special Operations Team (SOT), working alongside the Cyber Crime Police, apprehended nine individuals involved in this illegal scheme. Law enforcement officials indicated that additional arrests are expected.

Authorities have registered a case at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Cyberabad, with ongoing investigations focused on identifying international connections and additional financial trails.

The elaborate scam involved sending deceptive pop-ups and emails to Australian citizens, falsely alerting them that their computers had been compromised. When victims called the displayed customer service number, their calls were routed through the X-Lite application directly to Ridge IT Solutions.

The perpetrators employed social engineering techniques to persuade victims to install AnyDesk remote access software. This granted them complete control over victims' systems, allowing unauthorized access to online banking credentials and facilitating substantial financial transfers.

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Rather than transferring stolen funds directly to India, the money was initially moved to Australian bank accounts belonging to Indian nationals and students residing in Australia. These "mule accounts" served as intermediary points before funds were transferred back to India through illegal financial channels, including Hawala networks and cryptocurrency transactions.

During their raid, police seized evidence detailing 45 Australian bank accounts, suggesting hundreds of such accounts may have been exploited during the operation's two-year duration.

Authorities identified cousins Praveen and Prakash, natives of Khammam district, as the primary suspects behind the operation. The duo established the fraudulent call centre last year, subsequently recruiting seven tele-callers from Kolkata, providing accommodation and specialized training for cyber fraud activities.

Two local operatives from Khammam, Yepuri Ganesh (30) and Marampudu Chenna Keshava (26), managed daily office operations and employee movements within Madhapur.

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The arrested individuals include the two local managers and seven tele-callers: Eazaz Ahmed (42) from Odisha, Sambit Roy (27), Shannik Banerjee (24), Moumita Mallick (33), Silpi Samadder (33), Kunal Singh (37), and Moumita Mondal (27), all from Kolkata.

Police seized substantial incriminating evidence during the raid, including 12 HP computers, 21 mobile phones, two TP-Link routers, a Mahindra Thar SUV, three rubber stamps, and Yepuri Ganesh's passport.

Cyberabad Police have issued a strong advisory to NRI parents and Indian students abroad, urging them never to share, rent, or sell their international bank accounts to any individuals or organizations. Such actions are illegal and carry significant criminal liability, as these accounts are commonly exploited for cyber fraud and money laundering.

Citizens are advised to report cyber fraud immediately by dialing 1930 or contacting the Cyberabad WhatsApp number 9490617444.