Eleven Arrested as Gurugram Police Bust Alleged Fake Support Centre

GURUGRAM: Eleven people have been arrested after Gurugram Police raided a rented house in Palam Vihar that investigators allege was being used as a fake customer-support centre targeting people in the United States. The operation had allegedly been running for two to three months, according to the initial police account.

A team from Cyber Crime West carried out the raid at a house in J Block. Police said callers posed as technical-support representatives and contacted foreign residents through internet-based calling tools. The accused allegedly told targets that their devices had been infected or that urgent action was needed to prevent a larger financial loss.

Police allege a scripted support scam

Investigators say the callers used a dialling application and FaceTime to communicate with intended targets. They allegedly presented fabricated warnings, including claims linked to consumer-protection authorities, before persuading victims to transfer money to overseas accounts or provide gift vouchers and card details.

Police have alleged that individual losses ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 US dollars. That figure forms part of the investigation and should not be treated as a final assessment of proceeds. Officers will need to trace transactions, identify complainants and link specific payments to the people arrested before the scale of the alleged operation can be established in court.

Nine laptops, 20 mobile phones and two headsets or microphones were among the electronic items reported seized. Police also took custody of two cars, a motorcycle and a scooter. The devices are expected to be examined for call records, scripts, account credentials, chat histories and details of any payment channels.

Digital evidence will be central

A case has been registered at Cyber Crime West under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Investigators have identified one arrested man as the alleged team leader, but the precise role of every person remains to be determined. An arrest is not a conviction, and all 11 are entitled to have the evidence tested through the legal process.

The forensic work will be more important than the physical appearance of the premises. A room containing laptops and headsets does not, by itself, prove fraud. Police must preserve device data, login histories and financial records in a way that shows who used which system, when calls were made and where money was ultimately received.

International cases also depend on cooperation beyond Gurugram. If the alleged targets are in the United States, investigators may need verified complaints, bank records and assistance from service providers or overseas agencies. Gift-card transactions can move quickly through several hands, making the first digital trail especially important.

Residents should treat unsolicited technical-support calls with caution. Legitimate companies do not require payment through gift vouchers to remove a virus, and callers creating panic should not be given remote access, card details or one-time passwords. Anyone who has transferred money after such a call should preserve emails, screenshots and transaction references and report the matter promptly through the national cybercrime helpline or portal.

The Palam Vihar raid is an investigative start, not the conclusion of the case. The next test is whether the seized data supports the police account and identifies any victims and money trail connected to the alleged centre.