Thanks to close cooperation, the Federal Criminal Police Office in Austria, Interpol and the Indian police agency CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) were able to identify and dismantle a call center in India at the end of September 2022 from which global telephone fraud had been committed.

Thanks to international cooperation, a successful investigation against “fake police officers” was achieved.

Through investigations by the Federal Criminal Police Office, Interpol and the Indian police agency CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), a call center from which global telephone fraud had been committed was located and broken up in New Delhi at the end of September 2022.

Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General, said:

“Cyber-enabled internet fraud has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. These crimes have a devastating impact on the lives of victims: criminals steal hard-earned savings and target the most vulnerable sections of society. The exceptional police cooperation between Austria and India in this case shows that no criminal is beyond the reach of INTERPOL’s global network.”

Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office in Austria, added:

“International cooperation is the future of police work. This success is a prime example of professional criminal police cooperation and confirms the reputation of the Federal Criminal Police Office as a competent player in the international fight against crime.”

Deputy Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office Manuel Scherscher and Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office Andreas Holzer at the press conference. Photo: © BMI/Gerd Pachauer
Deputy Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office Manuel Scherscher and Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office Andreas Holzer at the press conference. Photo: © BMI/Gerd Pachauer

Background to the success of the investigation in India

Internet fraud is increasing rapidly across Europe. The “fake police” trick involves fraudsters pretending to be police officers over the phone and getting victims to hand over money and valuables. Sometimes the fraudsters pose as local police officers, but calls from fake INTERPOL or EUROPOL agents are becoming more and more common. This trick alone caused millions of dollars in damage in Austria.

On August 16, 2022, a victim in Austria received a call from a supposed INTERPOL agent, but the victim responded correctly and reported the incident to the police. With the help of an informant, fraud specialists from the Federal Criminal Police Office were able to trace the caller back to New Delhi (India). The Federal Criminal Police Office informed the responsible authorities in India via the INTERPOL network. The Indian police managed to arrest the heads of the criminal gang at the end of September 2022.

Result of the attack in New Delhi

The elimination of the call center in India is seen as a major success in the fight against internet fraud. Since the access, the number of reports of fraud involving fake INTERPOL or EUROPOL agents has fallen from a peak of over 100 reports per week to zero reports. It can be assumed that all calls from a false INTERPOL or EUROPOL agent were made via this call center.

Further action and prevention

The investigators from the Federal Criminal Police Office are in close contact with INTERPOL and the Indian police agency CBI in order to connect criminal cases that have occurred in Austria with the call center. There is also intensive cooperation with EUROPOL to collect evidence of crimes in Europe across Europe and to provide it to the Indian law enforcement authorities.

In general, INTERPOL never makes direct contact with the population. Furthermore, INTERPOL would never ask for money or banking information from people. If you receive suspicious calls, you should immediately report them to the police.

Source: Federal Ministry of the Interior

Also read our article on: Shock calls from scammers – how can you protect yourself?


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