Seizures include computer systems, digital devices and mobile phones used for committing the offence. Some of the accused, including the kingpin, are absconding and efforts are on to trace them, the officer said.
Credit: Special arrangement
Bengaluru: The special cell of the cyber command unit (CCU) conducted a major operation against a fraudulent software company involved in cheating US citizens by impersonating Microsoft technical support personnel.
A senior officer from CID said, after obtaining a search warrant from a city court, a raid was conducted by Savitha Srinivas, SP, special cyber cell on Musk Communications at Sigma Soft Tech Park on Whitefield main road.
The operation was carried out with the support of the CCU technical team, cyber security analysts and officers from neighbouring cyber crime police stations under the guidance of DGP, CCU.
During the operation, 23 suspects actively involved in duping foreign nationals by posing as Microsoft support technicians were arrested.
Seizures include computer systems, digital devices and mobile phones used for committing the offence. Some of the accused, including the kingpin, are absconding and efforts are on to trace them, the officer said.
‘Payments in cryptocurrency’
A senior officer from CCU told DH that the accused targeted US nationals by posing as technical support executives. They contacted victims, claiming that their computer systems had been hacked and required immediate security software services.
Victims were instructed to pay for the fake services through cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin.
Investigators said the accused collected substantial amounts in crypto wallets. Police said the total loss was yet to be verified.