The Cyberabad Police uncovered a sophisticated fake international call centre that systematically cheated Australian citizens of an estimated Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore over the last two years. The call centre, which masqueraded as an IT service provider called "Ridge IT Solutions," was operating from the Madhapur area of Hyderabad.
The Cyberabad Special Operations Team (SOT), along with the Cyber Crime Police, arrested nine people involved in the illegal operation. The police also indicated that more arrests would take place.
A case has been registered under the Cyber Crime Police Station, Cyberabad, and further investigation to identify foreign links and additional money trails is underway.
The Scandal
The fraudsters would initiate contact by sending fake pop-ups and emails to Australian citizens, falsely warning them that their computers had been compromised or hacked. When they (Australian citizens) called the customer care number displayed in the pop-up, the calls were routed through the X-Lite application directly linked to Ridge IT Solutions.
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The fraudsters would then leverage social engineering tactics to convince the victims to install the remote access software AnyDesk. This step allowed them to gain full control over the victims' systems, access their online banking credentials, and transfer large sums of money without authorisation.
The stolen funds were not routed directly to India. Instead, the money was first transferred into Australian bank accounts belonging to Indian nationals and students residing in Australia.
These "mule accounts" served as the initial point of transfer before the funds were subsequently moved back to India using illegal financial routes, including Hawala networks and cryptocurrency transactions.
The Raid
During the raid, the police seized crucial evidence detailing 45 Australian bank accounts, suggesting that hundreds of such accounts may have been misused over the two-year period of operation.
Police identified the key accused behind the racket as Praveen and Prakash, cousins and natives of the Khammam district. The duo established the fake call centre last year. They then recruited seven tele-callers from Kolkata, arranging their accommodation and training them specifically for cyber fraud operations.
Two local operatives from Khammam, Yepuri Ganesh (30) and Marampudu Chenna Keshava (26), managed the daily office logistics and employee movement within Madhapur.
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The arrested also 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 hailing from Kolkata.
During the raid, the police seized significant incriminating material, including 12 HP computers, 21 mobile phones, two TP-Link routers, a Mahindra Thar SUV, three rubber stamps, and the passport of the accused Yepuri Ganesh.
Police Issue Advisory
The Cyberabad Police issued a stern advisory to NRI parents and Indian students abroad, urging them to never share, rent, or sell their international bank accounts to any individuals or agencies.
Such acts, the police warned, are illegal and carry serious criminal liability, as these accounts are routinely 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.
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