NCCIA officials say suspects allegedly used cold calling, impersonation and digital infrastructure to target foreign nationals in an organised fraud operation.
KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Karachi has raided an alleged illegal call centre in the PECHS Block 6 area and detained more than 70 people suspected of involvement in an international fraud network targeting foreign nationals.
According to NCCIA officials, the operation followed several days of surveillance and technical monitoring of the suspected call centre. Investigators said the facility appeared to operate as a legitimate customer service or business process outsourcing (BPO) setup but was allegedly being used to defraud individuals abroad.
Additional Director NCCIA Karachi Tariq Nawaz supervised the operation and confirmed that the raid was conducted in PECHS Block 6.
Officials said more than 70 people were taken into custody during the operation after investigators found evidence of alleged illegal activities at the premises. The detained individuals are being questioned to determine their specific roles in the suspected network.
According to the NCCIA, those detained include alleged owners of the call centre, along with agents, super agents and closers. Investigators believe the suspects operated at different levels of an organised setup allegedly designed to contact and deceive foreign nationals.
Officials said the suspected operators allegedly relied on cold calling and impersonation techniques to approach potential victims. Callers reportedly presented themselves as representatives of legitimate organisations or customer service operations to gain the trust of individuals and obtain money or sensitive information.
The agency is also examining the digital infrastructure allegedly used by the operation. Computers, headsets, calling scripts, data sheets and other material were reportedly recovered from the premises during the raid.
The seized electronic devices and documents are undergoing forensic examination as investigators seek to establish how the alleged operation was organised and whether it had links with individuals or entities outside Pakistan.
An NCCIA official said interrogation of the detained individuals was continuing as investigators worked to determine the wider network allegedly operating behind the call centre.
The agency is also examining financial records and transactions to trace any alleged money trail connected to the suspected fraud. Investigators are expected to examine bank accounts, digital payment channels and other financial arrangements that may have been used to receive or transfer proceeds from the alleged operation.
Officials said the investigation had also been expanded to identify the owners or controllers of the property from which the call centre was allegedly operating, as well as any facilitators who may have assisted the suspected network.
The raid is part of the NCCIA’s efforts to investigate cybercrime and alleged online fraud operations targeting individuals in Pakistan and abroad. Further action against those detained will depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation, including forensic analysis of the seized devices and other evidence.
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