The Cyberabad police on Saturday apprehended nine people for allegedly operating an 'international fake call centre' that targeted Australian citizens.
During the investigation, it emerged that the key accused, Praveen and Prakash, had brought in personnel from Kolkata to work at the call centre.
According to a Cyberabad police release, the fraudsters made calls to Australian citizens and deceived them into transferring large sums of money from their bank accounts to various Australian accounts owned by Indian nationals residing in Australia.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
The illegally acquired funds were then routed to India through multiple channels, including hawala networks, cryptocurrency transactions and other covert methods.
Over the past two years, the group allegedly amassed and transferred Rs 8-10 crore from unsuspecting victims, primarily Australian citizens.
The prime accused, cousins from Telangana's Khammam district, established the fake call centre in 2024.
They hired seven people from Kolkata, accommodated them in Madhapur and trained them to make fraudulent calls to Australians, the release said.
The accused also collected bank account details from Indian students studying in Australia and used those accounts to receive the illegally obtained money, it added.
The investigation revealed a coordinated international cyber fraud in which Praveen and his team received 'leads' from an unidentified group. This group sent fake pop-ups and emails to Australian citizens, falsely claiming their computers had been compromised, and provided a fake 'customer care' number.
When victims called the number, the calls were routed to the call centre in Madhapur. The accused then convinced victims to allow remote access to their computers, gained entry into their online banking accounts and transferred large sums to Australian bank accounts of Indian nationals.
The money was later routed to India through hawala, cryptocurrency and other clandestine channels, police said.
Two more individuals from Khammam handled the daily operations of the centre.
While nine people have been arrested, others involved are yet to be apprehended, the release added.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
