Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) says it has arrested more than 70 people following raids on two call centres in Karachi’s PECHS area. Investigators allege the centres targeted people in the United States with offers involving new credit cards and low-interest financial services.
According to the agency, the two premises were run by one organisation. It registered two cases naming a total of 79 people. The allegations remain under investigation; the arrests do not establish that those named are guilty.
The NCCIA said it seized computers and an operating customer relationship management system that allegedly stored information about US-based customers. Investigators are conducting a forensic examination of the devices and data to establish how the operation worked, who controlled it and whether others were involved.
The police complaints allege that callers posed as representatives of US financial institutions to obtain personal and banking information, including Social Security numbers and card details. Investigators claim that information was then passed through the call centres’ system for unauthorised charges. Those claims will need to be tested through the investigation and legal process.
The case highlights the cross-border nature of alleged online financial fraud: calls originating in one country can put people’s money and personal data at risk in another. The next findings will depend on what the seized digital records and financial evidence show. DAWN.COM
