Global Cyber Scam Busted In Lucknow S Nightlife Hub

LUCKNOW Even as music blared from the cafés and bars that make Summit Building one of Lucknow’s busiest nightlife destinations, a fake international call centre allegedly involved in cyber fraud targeting Indian and foreign nationals through a mobile app and other technical scams was busted by the Lucknow Police in a midnight raid.

In what officials described as the city’s biggest cybercrime crackdown, investigators detained 119 people, seized 100 laptops, 178 mobile phones and a large cache of digital evidence from the premises.

The nearly 12-hour operation, carried out jointly by the Lucknow commissionerate’s Cyber Cell, Cyber Police Station and Crime Branch, began around 1am on Wednesday following a tip-off and continued till the afternoon. The call centre was functioning under the name Solaris Solution from two office units on the 11th floor and primarily operated during night hours, said police.

Two operation managers -- Lalit Khairajani, originally from Ahmedabad and currently residing in Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow, and Vikram Singh Parmar, also from Ahmedabad and currently living in Gomti Nagar Extension -- were taken into custody and being questioned, they added.

ADCP (crime) Kiran Yadav said the alleged racket targeted victims in India and abroad through refund scams, technical support fraud and other online inducements. “The callers allegedly posed as customer support executives of e-commerce platforms and convinced victims to install applications, including the ‘Dollar App’, or share sensitive banking details, following which money was siphoned off,” she said.

Investigators are examining digital evidence to establish the exact modus operandi, identify the total number of victims and determine the scale of the alleged fraud.

Police said the investigation would also focus on identifying other members of the organised cyber fraud network and the financial beneficiaries behind it.

With 119 people detained during the operation, police requisitioned three buses to transport them for questioning. More than 35 women employees were among those detained who were seen covering their faces, said sources.

The seized devices have been sent for technical and forensic examination. Investigators said they are analysing call records, chat logs, financial transactions and other digital footprints to identify victims, trace money trails and establish the role of each detainee.

The operation was conducted under the direction of Lucknow commissioner of police Amrendra Kumar Sengar, under the supervision of DCP (crime) AK Yadav while ADCP (crime) Kiran Yadav led the raid.

Police said the role of each detainee is being verified and that further legal action will be taken after scrutiny of digital evidence. They added that efforts are underway to identify other associates, financial beneficiaries and the wider network linked to the alleged organised cyber fraud racket.