Recently, Amazon, Microsoft, and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have taken action against perpetrators of tech support scams, marking the first time for these industry leaders to join forces. India has a thriving network of fraudsters operating illegally from call centers masquerading as legitimate businesses. Many of these scams target customers of Amazon and Microsoft, two of the biggest names in technology.
Now, for the first time, these companies have come together with India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to crack down on tech support fraud in the country.
Under Operation Chakra-II, the CBI conducted a ‘nationwide crackdown’ at 76 locations in several states with five separate cases in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. This led to the seizure of 32 mobile phones, 48 laptops/hard drives, 33 SIM cards, and pen drives, as well as several bank accounts and 15 email accounts linked to the fraudster's network.
Top Tech Support Scams Busted by CBI
Fake call center scammers have reportedly targeted foreign nationals masquerading as official Amazon and Microsoft tech support representatives. According to the CBI, the fraud has been going on for the past five years, with fraudsters using various international payment gateways and channels to "facilitate the movement of ill-gotten funds."
The task force reported that its efforts were carried out in collaboration with national and international agencies and private sector giants. It described its two targets as international technology support scams posing as a global IT giant and an international company with an internet technology-based marketplace.
The alleged fraudsters operated from call centers in five Indian regions and systematically targeted foreigners masquerading as technical support representatives.
The scammers sent users pop-ups that appeared to be from multinational companies and advised them about computer problems, using a toll-free number for help. Victims who called the scammers had their computers confiscated and were charged hundreds of dollars for repairs.
Cryptocurrency Scams Also Exposed
Cryptocurrency fraud detected by the Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU-India) was also targeted in the attacks.
During the investigation, Indian authorities identified 150 accounts linked to this cryptocurrency crime ring, consisting of 46 shell company accounts, 42 acquired companies, and 50 personal accounts, all of which were used to collect ill-gotten funds.
The CBI says that fraudsters have developed a fake cryptocurrency that lured investors with promises of high returns on investments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
They allegedly created the site to trick investors into believing that their funds would be used to buy mining machines and that profits from mined cryptocurrency would be shared among investors.
It was looking for investors willing to finance the purchase of mining machines - with a cryptocurrency that did not yet exist. Investors were initially given returns to build trust, but the operation shut down in August 2021 after charging unsuspecting Indian citizens who invested through various payment gateways.
The bureau found behind the scheme a complex structure of shell companies used to channel funds using money mules.
Amazon’s Advice to Safeguard Personal and Financial Information
With billions of dollars spent on Amazon each year, the e-commerce platform has quickly become a prime target for fraudsters, scammers, fraudsters and hackers. According to Amazon, they have already started removing more than 20,000 phishing websites and 10,000 phishing phone numbers last year. The retail giant said more than 50 percent of impersonation scams reported by its customers are fake order confirmations. When someone contacts you, scammers may ask for any credit card, social security number, or other personal information.
One example of a fraudulent text message someone might receive is asking a potential Amazon customer to click on a link to contact customer service if they haven't placed an order. Another example of a fraudulent text message is one that provides information about a fake order and then asks the customer to call a phone number to request a refund.
It is said that scammers often target elderly victims, and according to the FBI, 69 percent of victims are 60 or older. Therefore, it is critical to make sure that you and your near ones are aware of the warning signs of a scam call, phishing message, or text will help them avoid giving away sensitive information. Here are a few tips Amazon advises to protect your personal and financial information.
- Do not click on suspicious links.
- Don't call or text phone numbers you don't know.
- If in doubt, contact customer service directly and make a report.
- Amazon scammers send emails, phone calls, texts, and even social media messages claiming to be from the company. But every link you click or information you submit puts you at risk of identity theft. Scammers create fake websites that look like Amazon listings or Amazon Prime setup pages and trick you into giving them personal information. Scam sellers list fraudulent or fake products and trick you into buying them.
- Amazon does not ask you for payment information over the phone for products or services, including gift cards (or verification cards, as some scammers call them).
- Amazon said it won't call, text, or email you about an order you're not expecting and will ask you to confirm your purchase quickly. If you have any questions about your order, always check your order on Amazon.co.uk or through the Amazon Shopping app.
If you think you have been scammed, experts recommend taking the following steps:
- Contact your bank immediately.
- Ask your bank to cancel the transaction.
- Cancel your credit card.
- If you used a gift card, contact the company that issued the gift card and request a refund.