- India‘s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dismantled an international cybercrime group behind major tech support scams.
- The operation targeted a call center in Noida, India, that victimized people in the U.K. and Australia.
- Losses in the United Kingdom from this scam exceeded $525,000.
- Authorities arrested two suspects and seized evidence of live scam calls during coordinated raids on July 7, 2025.
- This investigation involved law enforcement agencies from India, the U.K., the U.S., and private sector partners.
On July 7, 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India executed raids in Noida to break up a transnational cybercrime operation accused of running tech support scams that targeted citizens in the United Kingdom and Australia. The actions were part of Operation Chakra V, focused on shutting down fraudulent activities run from a call center named FirstIdea in the Noida Special Economic Zone.
The CBI reported that the illicit scheme generated losses of more than $525,000 in the U.K. alone. Officials conducted searches at three locations, uncovering advanced calling technology and malicious software scripts used to obscure the fraudsters’ identities and reach victims in multiple countries.
According to a statement from the CBI, the operation was matched to the victims’ time zones, which allowed law enforcement to intercept live scam calls. Two individuals were arrested, including a major partner at FirstIdea. The suspects allegedly posed as support staff from reputable firms, such as Microsoft, and told victims their devices had been compromised. The group then requested payment for fake repairs.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) described the bust as the result of an 18-month collaboration between the CBI, NCA, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Microsoft. More than 100 U.K. residents fell victim to the scam, according to the NCA, which noted that the criminals used spoofed phone numbers and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)—technology that lets calls travel over the internet—to make tracking more difficult.
“More than 100 U.K. victims had been contacted by a group offering to fix their computers for a fee, following a screen pop up that suggested their device was infected or had been hacked,” the NCA stated. “In reality, the fraudsters were posing as employees of Microsoft, offering software solutions to an attack that had never taken place.”
Further, according to Nikkei Asia, similar scam operations—involving cryptocurrency fraud—are growing in eastern Myanmar, with at least 16 sites in operation and more under construction, despite recent law enforcement crackdowns.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
Previous Articles:
- BlackRock Buys $1.3B in BTC as Bitcoin Hits $122K All-Time High
- Bitcoin Soars Above $120K as Trump and Musk Fuel Crypto Surge
- Tornado Cash’s Roman Storm Seeks $500K for Legal Defense Fund
- Coinbase Wallet Set for Major Rebrand, New Name Sparks Speculation
- Off the Grid’s GUN Token Expands to Solana, NFT Sales Surge
