In a significant victory against transnational cybercrime, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in close coordination with international agencies, has successfully dismantled a sophisticated tech support scam syndicate operating from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The fraudulent operation, which primarily targeted citizens in the United Kingdom and Australia, is estimated to have siphoned over £390,000 from UK victims alone.

The crackdown, conducted on July 7, 2025, as part of the CBI’s ongoing “Operation Chakra-V,” involved raids at three locations in Noida, including a fully functional fraudulent call centre situated within the Noida Special Economic Zone. During the meticulously planned operation, investigators even caught live scam calls being made to unsuspecting foreign nationals.

The syndicate, operating under the name “FirstIdea,” masqueraded as legitimate technical support staff from renowned multinational companies, most notably Microsoft. Victims would receive alarming pop-up warnings on their screens or unsolicited calls, falsely claiming their devices were compromised with viruses or other technical issues. The fraudsters would then manipulate individuals into granting remote access to their computers and extort money under the guise of resolving these non-existent problems.

“The operation was meticulously timed with the time zones of the victims, resulting in the detection of live scam calls in progress during the raids,” a CBI spokesperson stated. Evidence seized during the raids included advanced calling infrastructure, malicious scripts designed to deceive victims, and documents revealing the extensive scale of the fraud. The call centre’s sophisticated technology enabled cross-border anonymity, making large-scale victim targeting possible.

This successful operation is the culmination of an 18-month “groundbreaking collaboration” involving the CBI, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Microsoft Corporation. These agencies worked together to identify the organized crime group, analyze data, and pinpoint the complex IT infrastructure utilized by the fraudsters.

The NCA confirmed that over 100 UK victims had fallen prey to this particular scam. Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), lauded the international cooperation, stating, “This case demonstrates the success we can have when we harness expertise from across the public and private sectors, and work hand in hand with partners abroad to target fraudsters, wherever they are.”

Two individuals, including a key operative partner of FirstIdea identified as Nishant Walia, have been arrested by the CBI and presented before a Special CBI Court. Further investigations are ongoing, with the possibility of more arrests as digital evidence is thoroughly analyzed.

This bust serves as a powerful reminder of the global nature of cybercrime and the critical importance of international collaboration in combating such sophisticated criminal networks. Authorities urge the public, especially in the UK and Australia, to remain vigilant against unsolicited calls or pop-up messages claiming to be from tech support. Legitimate companies will rarely, if ever, contact individuals out of the blue about a problem with their device.

Reference: https://www.ndtv.com/tech/cbi-busts-international-tech-support-scam-one-arrested-in-noida-8845023