Hyderabad police crack down on international fake call centre targeting Australians
Hyderabad police crack down on international fake call centre targeting Australians
Cyberabad police busted an international fake call centre in Madhapur, unraveling a ₹8-10 crore scam run by cousins from Khammam, with workers from Kolkata.
In a major sting in Hyderabad's Cyberabad area, police say nine people were arrested for allegedly running an international fake call centre that targeted Australian citizens. The operation was based in Madhapur, where the suspects trained staff to pose as IT support professionals and lure victims into remote-access scams.
Investigators say the scheme began with fake pop-ups and emails claiming the victim’s computer was compromised, followed by a call to a so-called customer care line. Once connected, victims were steered to remote-control their devices and provide banking details, enabling the fraudsters to transfer money to Australian accounts operated by Indian nationals living in Australia. The funds were then routed back to India through a maze of channels, including hawala networks and cryptocurrency transactions.
The prime suspects, Praveen and Prakash—cousins from Telangana’s Khammam district—allegedly recruited seven workers from Kolkata, housed them in Madhapur, and trained them to make fraudulent calls to Australians. The group is accused of amassing and moving between ₹8-10 crore over the past two years from unsuspecting victims, most of them Australian citizens.
Investigators say the operation also exploited bank accounts of Indian students studying in Australia, using those accounts to receive illicit proceeds before routing them to various Indian and international destinations. A larger network appears to have provided leads and coordination, though police have not yet identified the foreign-based group behind the operation.
Police are continuing to interrogate the suspects and search for additional accomplices. Victims are urged to contact authorities if they recognize similar communications, and the public is reminded to be cautious of unsolicited calls demanding remote access to devices or banking information. The case highlights the evolving nature of cross-border cybercrime and the need for ongoing vigilance and quick reporting.
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