On September 11, Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency raided a location around Gulshan-e-Iqbal and NIPA Chowrangi in Karachi. From the outside, the place looked completely ordinary, but it was actually a scam call center targeting foreigners. Locals walking by every day had no idea what was going on inside.
Six people were arrested during the operation. Local media identified them as Bilal, Taha Manzoor, Muaz bin Sami, Cyrus Zakaria, Tayyab Mushtaq, and Talha Khan. Their modus operandi was nothing new: they posed as foreign bank employees, made calls to trick victims into handing over personal information and bank details, and then drained their accounts.
Authorities seized several laptops, mobile phones, and a pile of other electronic gear at the scene. The suspects are still being interrogated, and legal proceedings are underway. These days, internet-and-phone-based get-rich-quick scams are becoming an old story around these parts.
