The CBI on Friday recovered digital evidence, various incriminating documents and also bank accounts and fixed deposits worth Rs 190 crore besides Rs 25 lakh in cash and gold worth Rs 55 lakh during searches in multiple cities against firms that posed as representatives of reputed firms like Microsoft to dupe the victims by offering technical support for non-existent problems.
The CBI had conducted the searches recently at various locations including Jaipur, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) at the premises of private companies and residential premises of accused persons in an on-going investigation of a case.
The agency had earlier registered a case on a complaint against six private companies—Softwill Infotech Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, Innovana Thinklabs Ltd, Jaipur, Benovellient Technologies Pvt Ltd, Noida, Systweak Software Pvt Ltd, Jaipur, Saburi TLC Worldwide Services Pvt Ltd, Delhi and Saburi Global Services Pvt Ltd., Gurugram and unknown others alleged to be involved in technical support fraud scheme.
“It was alleged that these companies would contact the victims via internet pop-up messages that falsely appeared to be security alerts from Microsoft or another well-known company. The pop-up messages fraudulently claimed that the consumer’s computer was infected by a virus. It would then run a scan on the consumer’s computer, falsely confirming the presence of a virus and malware. A toll free number would be given, where the victim will contact, and call would land up in their call centres. These companies would then take remote access of the victim’s computer and would convince the victim of the presence of non-existing problems and then would make them pay hundreds of Dollars for unnecessary services and softwares. Many of these irrelevant softwares were also developed by the companies under investigation,” the CBI said in a statement.
The CBI is collaborating with its counterparts in other countries to identify the network, dismantle their infrastructure and bring the perpetrators of crime to justice.
The US Department of Justice and CBI collaborated in this regard.