Hyderabad, March 6 (IANS) The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has busted a major cyber fraud operation running out of a fake call centre here and arrested 63 individuals, most of them from the northeastern states.
They were found working at the fraudulent establishment, engaging in cybercrimes targeting NRIs and US citizens, TGCSB Director Shikha Goel said on Thursday.
The call centre was operating in Patrika Nagar in the IT hub of HITEC City.
The officials said the accused, working at Exito Solutions, a fake call centre, impersonated customer care representatives of PayPal to deceive victims.
Using advanced software like EYEBEAM and X-LITE, they placed fraudulent calls and sent phishing emails, specifically targeting PayPal customers based in the United States, falsely claiming that unauthorised transactions had been made on the victim’s account. “Victims were tricked into calling a fake fraud prevention team listed in the emails, where scammers pressured them into sharing sensitive banking details under the pretence of securing a refund or stopping fraudulent activity. In some cases, victims were convinced to transfer money to safe accounts to prevent further unauthorised transactions, only to realize later that they had been scammed.”
The TGCSB identified Kaivan Patel Rupesh Kumar, alias Jaddhu alias Jadu Bhai of Gujarat as the key mastermind. He was operating this racket along with his elder brother, Vickey, who resides in Dubai, and Ajad. These individuals were responsible for providing stolen customer data from PayPal and arranging mule bank accounts in the US, which were used to receive fraudulently obtained money. They have converted illicit funds into cryptocurrency, making the money untraceable.
The investigation revealed that the entire network was controlled by Jadu Bhai and Rahul alias Pratik under the supervision of Chanda Mansawani, Managing Director of Exito Solutions. The organisation operated in coordination with team leaders Sanju, James, and Praveen, who specialised in manipulating victims into making fraudulent payments. These individuals were recruited using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, with promises of Rs 30,000 salaries for working in a “call centre.” However, once recruited, they were trained in deceptive tactics to commit cyber fraud.
During the raid, the police recovered 52 mobile phones used in fraudulent activities, 63 laptops, and 27 ID cards of Exito Solutions.
Further investigation is underway to identify additional suspects, including Justin, a key recruiter, and Jadu Bhai, who managed the operations, the official said.
–IANS
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