.jpg "Fake Microsoft Support Call Center Scam Targeting US Citizens Brought Down")
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An investigation by the Bengaluru police has revealed that a sophisticated cyber fraud operation was operating in the city masquerading as Microsoft Technical Support, targeting U.S. citizens in an attempt to defraud them, bringing an end to a transnational scam network that has been working from the city for some time.
On Saturday, the Special Cell of the Cyber Command, in coordination with the Cyber Crime Police of the Whitefield Division, conducted a raid at the premises of a firm known as Musk Communications in response to certain intelligence.
The raid was conducted based on specific intelligence.
A number of investigations have revealed that the company, which began operations in August, has established a scam center that is fully functional and consists of approximately 4,500 square feet of space, where employees allegedly pose as Microsoft support technicians in order to deceive foreign nationals and defraud them.
Several individuals have been arrested from the facility for being directly involved in the fraudulent activities, according to police. This operation was designed with the intent of systematically exploiting overseas victims through carefully orchestrated technical support scams, and according to police, 21 individuals have been arrested. Several rented office spaces were used by the racket, where callers dressed up as Microsoft representatives and targeted residents throughout the country as a whole.
A number of victims have been targeted either directly or through deceptive pop-up messages that falsely stated that their computer was infected with malware or had been compromised, leading them to be lured in. Once the callers had established a connection with the target, they convinced them to install remote access applications like AnyDesk or TeamViewer, which allowed the fraudsters to take control of the target computer system.
During these scams, police allege that the accused intentionally generated false technical glitches, frozen computer screens, or generated fake virus alerts to increase anxiety in victims and coerce them into paying for services that were unnecessary, nonexistent, or unreliable.
According to investigators, the group has been charging amounts ranging from several hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars for sham repairs, extended warranties, and counterfeit security subscriptions. According to investigators, the organization may have facilitated the funneling of crores of rupees through international payment gateways designed to obscure financial records for over a year.
The raid resulted in the discovery of 35 computers, 45 mobile phones, Voice over IP-based communication systems, scripted call templates, and extensive customer data logs which contained the details of hundreds of prospective targets and a variety of other items. It has been reported that the arrestees were trained to adopt an American accent so as not to raise suspicion, underscoring the systematic and calculated nature of the fraud.
As a result of this case, the police said that cross-border technology support scams are becoming increasingly prevalent, preying on seniors and digitally vulnerable individuals overseas, and that further investigations are currently underway to find out who was behind the fraud, who provided the money, and who was involved in it overseas.
According to Bengaluru Police Cyber Crime Division officials, the syndicate targeted victims both in the United States and in the United Kingdom. It falsely appeared to represent itself as Microsoft's technical support department.
During the course of the investigation, it was learned that callers escalated the deception by citing fabricated Federal Trade Commission violations, informing victims that their systems were being compromised or that they were being involved in unlawful online activity.
This fraudster has allegedly demanded substantial payments in Bitcoin as a means of resolving these purported threats, and instructed victims to deposit money at cryptocurrency ATMs.
According to police estimates, the individual losses are estimated to have averaged around $10,000. A number of intimidation tactics were employed to pressure compliance by the operation, including false legal penalties and urgent cyber alerts.
Senior IPS officers confirmed that the majority of those targeted were elderly individuals who are not familiar with digital security practices.
Further inquiries revealed that there were nearly 85 people employed in Bengaluru to manage the company's data, handle calls, and simulate foreign technology executives, in a professionally layered setup.
There were a number of elements involved in the operation, including American accents, detailed scripts, and email addresses that were designed to mimic official Microsoft and U.S. regulatory addresses.
It was the task of those arrested to extract personal and financial information during staged troubleshooting sessions, which then allowed payments to be converted to cryptocurrency, which disguised the financial trail in the process.
It has been reported that backend systems linked the operation to foreign digital wallets and crypto exchanges that are already under scrutiny by US authorities.
As a result of this investigation, the investigators are now looking at tracking Bitcoin transactions and identifying international collaborators involved in routing the proceeds.
The government is collaborating with Interpol and the federal government to map digital wallet movements and preliminary findings indicate that between August and November 2025, at least $13.5 crore was transferred in multiple tranches through Bitcoin ATMs in multiple batches.
Additionally, analysts are analyzing the seized servers to find out how the syndicate sourced contact information of overseas victims.
As officials pointed out, Bengaluru is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cybercrime networks worldwide.
It is due to this that skilled manpower and readily available digital infrastructure are being exploited by fraud rings operating under the cover of technology support firms in Bengaluru, prompting tighter monitoring of the registration of startups, co-working spaces, and tech parks around the city.
Since August, investigators have discovered that the network has contacted 150 victims across the United States and the United Kingdom, coercing them into depositing large sums of money-often close to $10,000-through Bitcoin ATMs, causing them to withdraw substantial sums. In a statement to the IPS, a senior officer stated that authorities are currently extracting and verifying financial information about victims.
The officer also stated that preliminary findings indicate cryptocurrency kiosks are the primary means by which illicit payments are collected.
A police report states that the accused posed as a technical support representative for Microsoft around the world and invoked fabricated Federal Trade Commission violations as a way of instilling fear in the public. Under the guise of mandatory security fixes and regulatory compliance procedures, the accused demanded money.
According to the reports, the operation's three key masterminds remain absconding and are believed to have orchestrated similar scams targeting victims across the U.S. and the U.K. since 2022.
In a scheme of this magnitude, Musk Communications rented a 4,500-square-foot office space in August at a monthly charge of Rs. 5 lakh, where the gang planned to deploy malicious Facebook ads that were targeted at American users as part of its campaign against the US government.
In the ads, investigators found embedded code that mimicked legitimate security alerts; when clicked on, it would freeze the user's system and trigger a fake pop-up message that appeared to be from Microsoft's global support center with a counterfeit helpline number, which claimed to originate from that support center.
According to the alleged victim, who contacted the number was told that their computer systems had been hacked, IP addresses had been compromised, and their banking information had been compromised, and they were subsequently pressured into making high-value payments using Bitcoin ATMs, which subsequently triggered the scam.
According to the Police, the company employed 83 employees, including 21 technical operators who were directly involved in the fraud.
The salaries for these employees ranged from $15k to $25k per month. Among the other arrests confirmed by investigators in this case was Ravi Chauhan, an Ahmedabad resident, alleged to have been a major part of recruiting nearly 85 staff members for this operation. This brings the total number of arrests in this case to 22 as the investigation continues to pursue remaining suspects and the financial flows that are tied to this scheme.
There has been a surge in organized cybercrime syndicates operating across borders in recent years, and authorities have issued warnings about the evolving tactics and techniques they are using, particularly those that exploit the trust people have in recognized technology brands internationally.
Moreover, the police emphasized that legitimate companies such as Microsoft should not initiate unsolicited technical support calls, issue pop-up warnings butting into the system immediately, or seek payments through cryptocurrency channels in order to receive support.
It was urged by officials that users, particularly those who were unfamiliar with digital platforms and elderly, should exercise caution when faced with alarming online messages or calls claiming legal or security violations, and that they should verify the claims by going to official websites or using authorised service channels.
It has also been emphasized by cybercrime investigators that the need for stronger awareness campaigns needs to be strengthened, short-term commercial rentals need to be closely scrutinized, and online advertising platforms need to be more tightly regulated so they can deliver malicious content on a more regular basis.
This investigation is continuing to trace financial flows and international connections, and authorities are stating that the case serves as a reminder of how sophisticated and large-scale modern tech-support fraud really is, underscoring the need for digital literacy, cross-border cooperation, and timely reporting as a way of counteracting scams that take advantage of fear, urgency, and misinformation.
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