8 months ago
International Cybercrime Network Drains Rs 20 Crore in AP
A group of criminals from different countries, including Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia, were tricking people in Andhra Pradesh, India.
They used special boxes called SIM boxes to make foreign calls look like they were coming from local Indian numbers.
This made people think the calls were from someone they knew or trusted.
The criminals then pretended to be officials and scared the victims into sending them money.
The police found out about this scam when they noticed strange calling activity.
They searched many places and caught 14 people, including two foreigners.
They also took away many SIM cards, phones, and other equipment used for the scam.
The total money stolen in Andhra Pradesh alone was about Rs 20 crore.
AP CID busted an international cybercrime network in coordination with the Telecom department.
The scam involved converting foreign calls into local calls using SIM boxes, defrauding Rs 20 crore in Andhra Pradesh alone.
14 individuals were arrested, including two Vietnamese operators and local operatives.
The criminals used Telegram and WhatsApp to communicate and obtain OTPs to conceal their identities.
Authorities seized 14 SIM boxes, 1,496 SIM cards, and other electronic equipment during searches in multiple states.
- Who
- International cybercrime network with local and foreign operators
- What
- Cybercrime involving SIM box fraud and impersonation scams
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh, India, with operations linked to Southeast Asian countries
- When
- Ongoing, with recent bust by AP CID
- Why
- To defraud victims by routing international calls as local calls and impersonating officials
Key facts
- Amount Scammed
- Rs 20 crore (in Andhra Pradesh alone)
- Arrested Individuals
- 14 (including 2 foreign operators)
- Foreign Operators' Nationality
- Vietnamese
- SIM Boxes Seized
- 14
- SIM Cards Seized
- 1,496
- Other Seized Items
- 22 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 8 routers, 7 cameras, 3 UPS, 1 inverter with battery, 1 monitor, 7 SIM card aggregators
- Investigation Locations
- Visakhapatnam (AP), Hyderabad (Telangana), Rourkela (Odisha), Nalanda (Bihar), Arambol (Goa), Kolkata (West Bengal)
- Communication Platforms Used
- Telegram, WhatsApp, other applications
Quotes
Supreme Court of India
The highest judicial authority in India.
““shocking””
thehansindia.com
Sources
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