A complex and multi-faceted fraudulent call center, coordinating various cyber scams throughout India, has been shut down in Lucknow. This large-scale digital fraud operation, which made use of well-known platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and the Reddy Anna betting app, is thought to have been managed remotely by a mastermind based in Dubai.
The local call centre, situated in the Vrindavan Yojna area, functioned as a “dummy terminal” for outreach and coordination. Investigations reveal that the criminal enterprise successfully defrauded over 1,000 individuals from across India, accumulating several crores of rupees. A coordinated raid at a residential tower in Vrindavan Yojna on Thursday led to the arrest of 15 individuals.
Additional DCP, Cyber Crime Unit, Vasanth Kumar, who led the probe, confirmed the arrests and the scale of the operation. Speaking to Media, Kumar stated that during questioning, “all 15 accused admitted to involvement in cyber fraud and online gambling, targeting people across multiple states in India.” He further elaborated on the scammers’ tactics to evade detection: “They claimed they destroyed devices after usage and regularly changed locations to avoid detection. The Cyber Crime Portal confirmed 69 complaints linked to the seized phones and 157 complaints tied to recovered passbooks and cheque books.”
The cyber scam lured victims with enticing offers of easy online income, including work-from-home jobs, paid reviews, video likes, and commission-based tasks, initially building false trust via WhatsApp. Once hooked, victims were moved to Telegram groups or bots, leveraging the platform’s encryption and anonymity to protect the scammers’ identities and automate interactions.
Kumar detailed the deceptive mechanism: “First victims were given initial fake wins to build trust. After encouraging large deposits, their accounts were blocked or manipulated to show total losses. The money was funnelled into mule accounts or cryptocurrency wallets, making it nearly untraceable.”
The alleged kingpin, identified as Vishal Yadav alias Ganni alias Prince, orchestrated the entire operation remotely. Kumar noted that Yadav has continually shifted his base between Sri Lanka, Singapore, Dubai, and even briefly India, in an attempt to evade law enforcement. The scam had been operating internationally before relocating to Lucknow just a month prior to the bust. According to Kumar, “operations were managed via VoIP and virtual numbers to conceal the location. Masterminds are believed to be operating from Dubai, using encrypted channels.”
The successful raid marks a significant blow against the organized cybercrime network preying on unsuspecting individuals across the nation.
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