LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 59 suspects during a crackdown on three fake call centres in Lahore’s Gulberg area, officials told ARY News.
According to the NCCIA, the suspects were allegedly involved in defrauding foreign nationals and stealing credit card data from restaurants.
The arrested suspects include 52 men and seven women. The agency also recovered 61 laptops, 21 computers and 52 mobile phones during the operation.
Officials said the suspects allegedly deceived foreign nationals by offering fake mobile phone upgrades and cheaper packages.
The suspects also allegedly hacked restaurant data and transferred money into their own accounts, the NCCIA said.
According to the agency, the suspects damaged Pakistan’s digital reputation through their activities. The stolen money was transferred through trading and money transfer applications, officials added.
Police Helpline 15 linked with NCCIA system
In a separate measure to combat cybercrime, police forces and the NCCIA have integrated Police Helpline 15 with the agency’s system, ARY News reported.
Under the new arrangement, all cybercrime-related complaints received through Helpline 15 will be automatically forwarded to the relevant NCCIA zone for action.
The NCCIA director general said the Helpline 15 systems of police forces across all provinces and major cities had been integrated with the agency’s system.
Upon receiving a complaint, the relevant NCCIA zone will take legal action, according to the report.
The initiative aims to make it easier for citizens to report cyber harassment, online fraud and data theft through the existing emergency helpline.
The integration is also intended to improve coordination between police and the NCCIA and speed up action on cybercrime complaints.