CBI busts international cyber fraud syndicate targeting UK and Australia, arrests key operative in Noida | India News
LUCKNOW: In a breakthrough under Operation Chakra-V, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate operating from Noida that was allegedly duping citizens of the United Kingdom and Australia through tech support scams. The syndicate’s key operative, Nishant Walia, a partner in the firm FirstIdea, was arrested during the operation and is being produced before the Special CBI Court on Tuesday.The CBI, acting on credible intelligence inputs, registered a case to investigate the syndicate’s fraudulent activities. In a coordinated raid on July 7, searches were conducted at three locations in Noida, including a fully functional fake call centre located within the Noida Special Economic Zone. Investigators caught live scam calls being made to foreign victims during the raid.According to the CBI, the fraudsters posed as technical support representatives of reputed global companies like Microsoft. They would inform unsuspecting individuals that their computers or devices were compromised and then extort money under the pretext of fixing fabricated technical issues.The operation involved close coordination with international agencies, including the FBI (USA), the National Crime Agency (UK), and Microsoft Corporation. Investigators seized a large cache of digital evidence, including advanced calling infrastructure, malicious software scripts, data records, and documents revealing the syndicate’s vast cross-border operations.The busted call centre, FirstIdea, reportedly operated with high-end technology designed to mask identities and target a large number of foreign victims while avoiding local detection. The CBI stated that the operation highlighted the growing global dimension of cybercrime and reiterated its commitment to dismantling such criminal networks.A senior CBI official said, “This operation reflects our deepening collaboration with global agencies to combat cybercrime and protect citizens across borders.”Further investigation is underway to identify other operatives and collaborators involved in the international fraud network.
