India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Microsoft worked together to take down the fraudulent call center.
A criminal group posing as Microsoft «helped» more than a hundred victims in the UK get their computer fixed. Others received a pop-up message saying their device was infected or hacked. The scammers used fake phone numbers and VoIP services to route calls through multiple servers in several countries. They also offered so-called «software solutions» for fictitious problems — usually for a fee. The victims are believed to have lost more than £390,000 as a result.
The NCA found that fake call center employees also had victims in the United States. The NCA’s liaison office in Washington, D.C., agreed to share intelligence and information with the FBI. The NCA, FBI, and Microsoft identified several key suspects based in India and gathered evidence, including victim testimony. In turn, the CBI arrested two individuals.
Law enforcement agencies of the three countries note the fruitfulness of international cooperation with colleagues across the ocean. The offense is called a «devastating crime that caused victims significant and lasting damage». In an attempt to impersonate representatives of well-known companies, modern fraudsters even use real internal Google domains or PayPal email addresses.
Source: Cybernews
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