CBI arrests four in tech-support fraud racket targeting US nationals
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four people, including the alleged mastermind, for their involvement in a tech-support fraud and extortion racket operated through call centres and offices across Punjab and Delhi. The group is suspected of primarily targeting U.S. citizens, the agency said on Thursday.
The arrests followed CBI raids at 10 locations across Punjab and Delhi, including a call centre run from the premises of the main accused in Mohali, during the night of August 5 and 6. The agency seized communication devices, storage drives, cash, and details of cryptocurrency wallets from the accused.
Those arrested have been identified as Sourabh Rana, the prime accused, and his alleged associates Indermohan Singh, Harneet Singh, and Jappandeep Singh. According to the CBI, the group posed as representatives of Microsoft, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies to deceive victims into paying money.
The agency detailed two cases. In 2022, a Florida resident was allegedly extorted of $4.40 lakh. The victim was threatened with claims that her personal and financial information had been compromised and that illegal material had been planted on her computer. She was coerced into making multiple transactions into a Bitcoin ATM. The funds were routed to a specific wallet address and then transferred to accounts controlled by the accused.
In 2023, a New Jersey resident was misled into believing that unknown entities had accessed her banking details. Following instructions, she deposited around $1.30 lakh into Bitcoin ATMs. The CBI did not disclose whether any of the money was recovered.
Explaining the modus operandi, the CBI said the accused sent pop-ups to computers of prospective targets, displaying bogus warnings about serious technical issues. The pop-ups carried fake Microsoft toll-free numbers that connected victims directly to fraudulent call centres run by the syndicate. The victims were then persuaded to make payments for repairing their systems.
The syndicate also allegedly extorted money through cryptocurrency ATMs by convincing victims that they had been implicated in serious crimes such as child pornography. The proceeds were routed through multiple cryptocurrency wallets and later laundered via operators based in Delhi.
The CBI has said the investigation is ongoing and has not ruled out further arrests. The accused are expected to be produced before a court, where the agency will seek their custody for detailed interrogation.
Tech-support fraud is a growing form of cybercrime, where scammers impersonate legitimate companies to gain access to computers or demand payments for fake services. The CBI has urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited technical support calls and to verify any such claims directly with official sources.
