The Bengaluru cyber police last week busted a fake Microsoft tech support racket, allegedly targeting American citizens, after raids at Whitefield’s Sigma Soft Tech Park, and arrested 21 people.
Tech support scams often involve a call or other contact informing the victim of an issue with their computer while impersonating an employee of a major software company, followed by the installation of remote access software to steal money.
According to a police statement, the fraudulent company, Musk Communications, had been operating out of a 4,500-square-foot premises in the Delta Building of Whitefield’s Sigma Soft Tech Park since August.
Based on information they received about the company, the police registered a case under the provisions of the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 66 (computer-based offences) and 314(8) [cheating].
The cybercrime police in Whitefield said the 21 arrested people were actively involved in cheating foreign nationals by posing as Microsoft support technicians. The police seized several computers, mobile phones, and other electronic evidence during the raids conducted on November 14 and 15.
The accused are set to be produced before the jurisdictional court, while police say they are continuing investigations to arrest the absconding accused and analyse digital evidence in the case.
How the gang operated
In the FIR, it was alleged that the company recruited people online and trained them in cyber-fraud activities, using the names of reputable companies to gain the victims’ trust. Digital tools were allegedly used to contact victims, misrepresent themselves, and collect money.
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The gang allegedly used Facebook ads to target American users, embedding codes masked as security alerts. They also allegedly displayed fake helpline numbers, and when victims called these numbers, scammers posing as Microsoft technicians allegedly told them that their systems had been hacked and that their IP addresses had been compromised.
Then they would convince the victims to pay large sums for fake security fixes and compliance procedures, the police said.