Jamshedpur, Sep 3 (IANS) In a major cyber fraud, at least 12 US citizens were cheated by local cyber criminals operating out of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, officials said on Wednesday.

The matter surfaced when the victims lodged complaints with the US police, which were later forwarded to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Following this, investigative agencies in India have swung into action, initiating a probe at several levels.

Preliminary findings revealed that phone numbers originating from Jamshedpur were used to carry out the fraud, prompting central agencies to alert the Jharkhand Police.

Acting on this input, Jamshedpur City SP Kumar Shivashish issued directives to all DSPs and station in-charges to intensify surveillance and crack down on cyber fraud networks in the city.

According to police, the racket is believed to be operating from areas such as Sakchi, Mango, Telco, Govindpur, and Baridih. Several suspects have already been identified, and raids are underway to nab them.

Investigators said the gang used a sophisticated modus operandi, often posing as technical support executives or even government officials. They would contact unsuspecting US citizens, gain their trust by citing fabricated computer, banking or technical issues, and then trick them into transferring money.

“The gang had effectively set up a call-centre-like operation, where English-speaking members would specifically target foreign nationals,” an official said.

The network is suspected to have international footprints, with investigators not ruling out the possibility of victims in other countries besides the US.

“We are coordinating with central and international agencies to trace the financial trail and identify the masterminds,” said a senior police officer.

So far, evidence suggests that the gang’s core operations were concentrated in Mango, Telco and Sakchi, from where calls were made and money transfers orchestrated.

Police believe that the group may have been running for months, if not years, before being exposed through the complaints filed overseas.

–IANS

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