Did CBI Arrest a Noida Cyber Gang Targeting Victims in the UK and Australia?

New Delhi, July 8 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a significant member of a cybercrime network based in Noida, responsible for orchestrating a technical support scam aimed at individuals in the UK and Australia.

Nishant Walia, a partner at FirstIdea, was taken into custody on Monday as part of the federal agency's ongoing Operation Chakra-V, which targets international cybercriminals.

Walia was presented before a Special CBI court on Tuesday, where authorities requested his detention for further questioning.

Reinforcing its dedication to tackling the escalating issue of cybercrime, the CBI emphasized its collaborative efforts with both national and global entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Crime Agency (UK), and Microsoft Corporation, to track the operations of this syndicate.

Previously, the agency conducted raids at three sites in Noida, including a fully operational fraudulent call center located within the Noida Special Economic Zone.

“The timing of the operation was strategically aligned with the time zones of the victims, leading to the discovery of active scam calls during the raids,” stated a CBI release.

Acting on reliable intelligence, the CBI lodged an FIR to investigate the syndicate, which impersonated technical support personnel from renowned multinational corporations, including Microsoft.

The scammers deceived foreign nationals by falsely asserting that their devices were compromised and extorting funds under the pretense of resolving fictitious technical problems, according to the CBI.

During the raids, the CBI confiscated substantial evidence, including advanced telecommunication systems, malicious scripts utilized to mislead victims, and documentation revealing the extent of the fraud and extortion.

The syndicate’s call center, operating under the name FirstIdea, demonstrated a high degree of technological sophistication, facilitating cross-border anonymity and extensive victim targeting, as highlighted in the statement.

A senior official remarked that the CBI is fully committed to combating the rising threat of cybercrime and reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with both domestic and international partners to dismantle such criminal networks and bring the offenders to justice.

With initiatives like Operation Chakra-V, the Bureau continues to bolster its capabilities in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting cybercriminals who operate across borders.