Illegal Call Centres in Lahore: NCCIA Arrests 12
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 12 suspects, including two women, at two illegal call centres in Lahore on Friday. The raids targeted centres that defrauded people in Canada, the United States and other countries through fake offers of mobile phone upgrades, network packages and SIM deals.
The agency conducted the raids at Solution Hub in Batapur and Task Taker in Punjab Housing Society on the basis of credible information and search warrants obtained from the competent court.
How the illegal call centres in Lahore worked
Preliminary investigations revealed that the call centres were defrauding common people abroad. The suspects would impersonate representatives of well-known telecommunications companies to obtain the victims’ financial information and carry out illegal financial transactions and card fraud.
During the first raid, a woman and six men were arrested. In the second raid, a woman and four men were taken into custody. The seized equipment included 13 laptops, two desktop computers and 13 mobile phones. Separate cases had been registered against the suspects.
The method is a familiar one. Callers pose as staff of a trusted phone company, offer a cheaper package or a free upgrade, and then ask for account or card details. Once the victim shares the information, the callers use it to move money or make purchases.
A crackdown that keeps widening
The Lahore raids are the latest step in a crackdown on illegal call centres that has gathered pace this year. The NCCIA recently ended deportation for illegal call centres, shifting the emphasis to prosecution of the people who run them. The change means suspects now face trial in Pakistan instead of being sent home.
The crackdown has already reached beyond Lahore. A Dawn editorial said the NCCIA picked up as many as 273 suspects this week from an office premises in Karachi connected to an alleged international scam network involved in credit card data theft through “spoof calls”.
The Lahore operation matters because the victims sit abroad. Complaints from Canada and the United States put pressure on Pakistani authorities to act, and each raid produces phones and laptops that can lead investigators to wider networks. The 13 laptops and 13 mobile phones seized in Lahore will now be examined for records of victims, transactions and contacts.
What happens next
Separate cases have been registered against the 12 suspects, and investigations will continue into how long the two centres had operated and how many people they defrauded. The suspects will be produced before a court, where the agency will seek their remand for further investigation.
Anyone who receives an unexpected call offering a phone upgrade or a cheaper package should treat it with care. Genuine telecom companies do not ask customers to share card numbers or one-time passwords over the phone, and an offer that demands urgent payment is a warning sign. People who lose money to online fraud can also seek help through the courts. The Lahore High Court has backed consumer courts for online shopping disputes, giving buyers a forum to pursue refunds and compensation.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were arrested in the Lahore call centre raids?
Twelve suspects, including two women, were arrested at two illegal call centres in Lahore. Seven were arrested in the first raid and five in the second.
Where were the illegal call centres located?
The raids were conducted at Solution Hub in Batapur and Task Taker in Punjab Housing Society, Lahore.
How did the call centres defraud people?
The suspects impersonated representatives of well-known telecom companies and offered fake mobile phone upgrades, network packages and SIM deals to obtain victims’ financial information and carry out card fraud.
What was seized during the raids?
The NCCIA seized 13 laptops, two desktop computers and 13 mobile phones from the two centres.
What is the NCCIA doing about illegal call centres?
The agency has shifted from deportation to prosecution of the people who run illegal call centres, and it continues to raid centres that target victims in Pakistan and abroad.
