Srinagar, Mar 19 (NVI): Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) has busted a sophisticated international cyber fraud racket operating from Srinagar and arrested seven persons in connection with the case,on Thursday.
Official sources said that acting on specific technical inputs about covert call centres involved in online fraud targeting both foreign and local nationals, CIK-CID constituted specialised teams of technical experts and field operatives, an official said.
Following surveillance and digital intelligence gathering across multiple locations, the teams identified a key operational hub in the Rangreth Industrial Area here.
Subsequently, coordinated raids were carried out at various locations in Srinagar, leading to the arrest of seven suspects and seizure of a large quantity of digital and communication equipment.
The seized items include 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, SIM cards, networking devices and digital storage media. Among the devices recovered are high-end smartphones, tablets and laptops of multiple brands, the official said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had set up an unregistered call centre using VoIP-based systems to generate international virtual numbers and mask their locations through server routing and spoofing techniques.
“They posed as legitimate service providers and targeted victims through fake websites and online advertisements,” the official said.
Victims were lured into clicking on phishing advertisements, which displayed toll-free numbers operated by the suspects. They were then deceived into sharing banking and personal details, leading to financial fraud.
The siphoned funds were routed through multiple bank accounts, including mule accounts, and converted into cryptocurrency, primarily USDT, to obscure the money trail, officials said.
“No cash transactions were involved, indicating the fully digital and sophisticated nature of the operation. The transactions are estimated to run into crores,” the official added.
The seized devices are said to contain substantial incriminating evidence pointing to a well-organised cyber crime network.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of law and further investigation is underway, officials said.(NVI)
