Cops arrest fraudsters involved in foreign extortion rackets

“<g data-gr-id="46">Amritabh</g> Roy, an NRI from United Kingdom, told the cyber cell through an e-mail that his wife Sudeshna Dasgupta had received a call on August 27 on her mobile phone from a number supposedly from the UK and the callers posed as officials of United Kingdom Border Agency. 

They threatened her stating that she had not fulfilled the immigration formalities in India while leaving for the UK which was a criminal offence. To avoid prosecution, she must pay a fine of £1477,” said <g data-gr-id="55">Anyesh</g> Roy, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, EOW.

“They asked her to isolate herself from any other mobile, telephone, internet and even the people around her. They kept her busy on the phone for almost four hours, till she had actually completed the money transfer. In the end, they asked her to follow “protocol” and not discuss the matter with anybody. They called back again and demanded another £1300 for some “bail bond,” he added.

According to the complainant, there were 3-4 members in the team, who were attempting to speak English with a British accent.

The money was collected from Western Union branch/franchise in Delhi on August 27, 28. Later on August 28, they again received another email demanding another £1300 for furnishing the “bail bond.” 

Soon after receiving the information, police initiated investigation. The <g data-gr-id="56">franchisee</g> operator, Pawan Kumar, was arrested and interrogated. Later he admitted that he had received the payments from the branch. He also confessed that he is involved in the racket and MTCN numbers of these payments were received by him from the persons who are running their illegal call centre and on their directions, the payments were withdrawn by him through fake ID proofs.

During the interrogation, it has been revealed that a specific software application had been installed in the computer sets which were used for spoofing and making fake VoIP calls to victims. The information of the victims was obtained from job portals and other sources available on the Internet. 

Then, the persons who have moved from India to the United Kingdom used to be scrutinised.

After scrutinising, spoof calls used to be made using the VoIP call application which displayed the number of the UK Border Agency office on the phone screen of the victim and the victims used to be threatened.

The accused persons also admitted that for the purpose of calling they used the IP servers which belong to the Pacific Communication, UK.

The victims are so apprehensive that they agree to transfer money through <g data-gr-id="64">Western Union</g> or Money Gram to fulfill their illegal demands in order to avoid arrest, deportation or detention. 

After <g data-gr-id="62">transfer</g> of money, the victims communicated the MTCN numbers to the caller which were further conveyed to the agents of the Money Transfer Companies for withdrawal. The money was withdrawn by these agents and forged entries were made in the record by attaching fake documents to fulfill RBI guidelines.