Bengaluru Cyber Fraud Bust: Karnataka Police Crack Down on Fake Call Centres Targeting US Citizens

In a major cybercrime crackdown, the Karnataka State Cyber Command on Thursday announced that it had dismantled four fake call centres operating from different parts of Bengaluru that allegedly cheated citizens in the United States by impersonating representatives of a well-known American accounting software company.

The operation led to the arrest of two alleged masterminds, while investigators believe several more people linked to the fraud network may soon be taken into custody as the probe expands.

Two Arrested, More Suspects Under Scanner

The arrested accused have been identified as Akash, originally from Uttar Pradesh, and Prashant from Delhi.

According to investigators, Akash is believed to be the prime accused and allegedly supervised the larger operation, while Prashant and several others reportedly handled different aspects of the fraudulent setup.

Senior officials said the investigation is still in its early stages and that the network could be much larger than initially suspected.

Pronab Mohanty confirmed that officers are currently tracing financial transactions, examining bank accounts used to receive money and trying to identify how the fraud proceeds were transferred, layered and eventually withdrawn.

“Further investigation is underway, and more arrests are likely,” Mohanty said.

How the Fraud Allegedly Worked

Police say the accused targeted American citizens by pretending to be customer support executives associated with QuickBooks, a widely used accounting and tax management platform in the United States.

Investigators suspect the accused convinced victims that there were urgent issues related to taxes, software subscriptions, licence renewals or technical errors linked to their QuickBooks accounts.

Victims were then allegedly persuaded to pay large sums of money under the guise of technical support charges, tax compliance fees or software renewal costs.

Officials said the scammers also supplied fake software licence keys and fabricated service assistance while maintaining the appearance of legitimate customer support operations.

To strengthen the illusion, the callers reportedly adopted fake American identities and accents while using scripted conversations designed to build trust with victims.

QuickBooks Denied Having Operations in Bengaluru

Sources associated with the investigation said police contacted QuickBooks directly to verify whether the company had any authorized customer support centres operating from Bengaluru.

According to officials, the company informed investigators that it had no such official operations in the city.

This confirmation strengthened suspicions that the accused were illegally using the company’s brand identity to target foreign nationals.

Cybercrime officers say impersonating established international companies has become a common tactic among organized scam networks because victims are more likely to trust familiar brand names.

Fraud Network Allegedly Ran for Nearly Two Years

Investigators believe the fake call centre network had been functioning for almost two years before the raids took place.

During that period, the operation allegedly expanded into a structured organization involving multiple teams, separate offices and technical support units.

Police sources said some employees working at the call centres were fully aware that the operation was illegal, while investigators are still trying to determine whether other workers were knowingly participating in the fraud or were simply employed as regular call centre staff.

Officials suspect the organization operated much like a professional corporate setup, complete with designated departments handling customer calls, backend technical support, financial processing and data management.

Shell Companies Used to Move Money

According to investigators, the accused floated a company called “Circle Square LLC” and allegedly created multiple shell entities to channel and conceal money collected from victims in the US.

The use of shell companies is a common method in cyber fraud operations because it helps obscure the origin of funds and complicates financial tracking.

Police are now coordinating with financial institutions and cyber forensic teams to trace how the money moved through various bank accounts and whether cryptocurrency or international payment gateways were used.

Officials are also examining whether hawala networks or mule accounts may have been involved in moving funds across jurisdictions.

Massive Workforce Involved in Operation

Sources in the police department revealed that each of the four call centres employed around 40 to 50 workers, indicating that the scam network may have involved more than 150 employees in total.

Investigators believe the operation functioned in shifts to match US time zones, allowing the callers to contact American citizens during working hours in the United States.

The fraud centres reportedly operated with high levels of coordination, with separate teams responsible for lead generation, convincing victims, payment processing and technical manipulation.

Another office allegedly handled backend technical activities such as maintaining databases, generating fake support tickets and managing software-related deception.

Cybercrime experts say such operational sophistication suggests that the network may have been linked to larger organized international scam ecosystems.

Coordinated Raids Across Bengaluru

The crackdown followed what police described as “specific intelligence inputs” received by the Cyber Crime Police Station (South East) and the Special Cyber Cell.

After weeks of surveillance and information gathering, multiple teams simultaneously raided four separate locations across Bengaluru where the fake call centres were allegedly functioning.

Officials said the coordinated operation was carefully planned to prevent suspects from destroying evidence or fleeing.

During the searches, investigators seized a large quantity of digital and electronic material believed to have been used in the scam.

What Police Recovered During the Raids

Among the items seized were:

• 44 SSD storage devices
• Two laptops
• Two mobile phones
• Nine CPUs
• Printed scripts allegedly used to manipulate victims
• Multiple electronic communication devices
• Technical infrastructure suspected to have supported the fraudulent operations

Investigators say the printed scripts are especially important because they reportedly contain step-by-step conversation templates used by callers while speaking to victims.

These scripts allegedly included instructions on how to create panic, pressure victims into making payments and maintain the appearance of authenticity during calls.

Rise of International Scam Call Centres in India

The case once again highlights the growing challenge posed by organized cyber fraud operations operating from India while targeting victims abroad.

Over the past decade, several fake call centre scams targeting citizens in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia have been uncovered in cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Noida and Ahmedabad.

These frauds often involve impersonation of:

• Tax authorities
• Tech support companies
• Banks
• Immigration agencies
• Insurance firms
• E-commerce platforms

Scammers typically exploit fear, urgency and confusion to manipulate victims into transferring money or revealing sensitive financial information.

In many cases, elderly people in Western countries are particularly targeted because they may be less familiar with online fraud tactics.

Why Bengaluru Became a Hub for Such Operations

Cybercrime investigators say Bengaluru’s large outsourcing ecosystem, skilled English-speaking workforce and extensive IT infrastructure sometimes make it easier for fraudulent operators to camouflage illegal activities as legitimate business process outsourcing (BPO) firms.

Fake call centres often rent commercial office spaces, install professional-looking setups and recruit young employees under the guise of customer service or technical support jobs.

Some workers reportedly remain unaware of the illegal nature of operations until after joining, while others knowingly participate due to lucrative incentives and commissions.

Investigation Likely to Expand Further

Police officials believe the current arrests may only expose one layer of a larger fraud network.

Investigators are now working to identify:

• Financial beneficiaries
• Recruitment agents
• Technical support providers
• International collaborators
• Additional offices linked to the operation

Authorities are also examining digital evidence recovered from the seized devices to identify overseas victims and estimate the total amount of money allegedly siphoned off.

Given the cross-border nature of the fraud, officials may seek cooperation from international law enforcement agencies as the probe progresses.

Growing Focus on Cybercrime Enforcement

The crackdown reflects Karnataka’s increasing focus on organized cybercrime and digital fraud investigations.

With cyber-enabled crimes becoming more sophisticated and global in nature, law enforcement agencies are increasingly relying on forensic analysis, digital intelligence and inter-agency coordination to dismantle such networks.

Officials say the Bengaluru operation demonstrates how cybercriminal groups are evolving beyond small-time scams into highly organized enterprises that mimic legitimate corporate structures while operating across borders.

As investigators continue tracing money trails and identifying additional suspects, the case is expected to shed further light on the growing underground economy of international cyber fraud operating from Indian cities.