In a breakthrough, Ludhiana Police have busted an international cyber fraud network operating through illegal call centres and arrested 132 accused involved in cheating foreign nationals through sophisticated online scams, officials said on Thursday.
Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said the accused posed as technical support providers for multinational companies and targeted victims abroad by sending fake virus alerts and security warnings using Microsoft’s name. He said fake customer care numbers were displayed on victims’ screens, and once victims called the numbers, the calls were routed directly to the fraudsters using X-Lite software.
Acting on a tip-off, police conducted coordinated raids at multiple commercial premises near Sandhu Tower and Silver Oak in Ludhiana, leading to the arrest of the accused and exposing the large-scale cybercrime setup.
Officials said an FIR has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under FIR No. 37 dated May 13, 2026, under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(3) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 66-C, 66-D and 75 of the IT Act.
During the raids, police recovered around Rs 1.07 crore in cash, 98 laptops, 229 mobile phones and 19 luxury cars. Authorities have also frozen more than 300 bank accounts linked to the accused network. The Income Tax Department has been roped in for further financial scrutiny.
According to police, the gang operated in a structured manner, with teams divided into “openers” and “closers”. Openers would gain access to victims’ systems using remote software such as UltraViewer, while closers allegedly impersonated bank officials to extract money from the victims.
Victims were allegedly coerced into making payments through multiple methods, including cash pickups from homes, purchases of gold, Apple and Amazon gift cards, wire transfers to foreign accounts, along with hawala and cryptocurrency channels. Investigators said the proceeds were later routed back to India through illegal financial networks.
Police further revealed that each operator handled around eight to 10 calls daily and was paid fixed salaries along with performance-based incentives. Preliminary investigation suggests that young men and women from economically weaker backgrounds were recruited with promises of quick financial gains.
Authorities also said the accused misused rented commercial spaces to run the illegal operations. Police Commissioner Sharma said further investigation is underway into digital evidence, hawala links, cryptocurrency transactions, property ownership and the involvement of other associates, adding that strict action against organised cybercrime networks will continue.