Lucknow: In one of the biggest cybercrime crackdowns in Uttar Pradesh, the Lucknow Police Commissionerate has dismantled what investigators described as a “mini Jamtara” operating from the 11th floor of the Summit Building in Gomti Nagar, detaining 119 persons allegedly linked to a highly organised international cyber fraud network targeting citizens of the United States.The alleged racket operated from a fake call centre named “Solaris Solution” and had been functioning from two office units in the commercial complex for nearly 18 months, police said. The operation was uncovered by a joint team led by DCP (Crime) Anil Yadav and Additional DCP (Crime) Kiran Yadav.Acting on specific intelligence, police raided the premises and found a fully functional international call centre equipped with sophisticated communication systems, multiple workstations and dedicated calling teams. During the operation, 119 employees and associates were detained.Investigators seized 100 laptops, 178 mobile phones, storage devices and extensive digital records, all of which have been sent for forensic examination.Police said the syndicate allegedly recruited young English-speaking callers from states including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal and several North-Eastern states, offering salaries of Rs 30,000-35,000 per month. Recruits were allegedly trained in American accents, scripted conversations and psychological manipulation techniques before being deployed.According to investigators, the racket primarily targeted US citizens by impersonating officials of law enforcement agencies, banks and technology companies.Victims were allegedly told that they were under investigation for serious offences such as money laundering, identity theft or financial fraud and were placed under so-called “digital arrest”—a cyber fraud technique in which victims are kept on continuous video or voice calls and falsely led to believe they are under official surveillance and prohibited from contacting anyone else.Police said victims were then pressured to transfer funds to purportedly “safe” or “government-authorised” accounts for verification. The money was allegedly routed through digital wallets or converted into gold to obscure the trail.In other instances, victims were persuaded to install remote-access applications, allowing fraudsters to gain access to devices, banking credentials, card information and one-time passwords.Investigators said the victims were manipulated into authorising transactions or disclosing sensitive financial information, leading to substantial financial losses.The call centre reportedly operated almost entirely during night hours in India to coincide with daytime business hours in the United States. Employees worked in shifts and followed detailed scripts designed to make interactions appear legitimate.Police have identified Lalit Khairajani and Vikram Singh Parmar, both originally from Ahmedabad and currently residing in Gomti Nagar Extension, as alleged operational managers of the network. They are being questioned regarding recruitment, training, operational hierarchy, financial transactions and possible overseas connections.Investigators are analysing seized electronic devices, call records, customer databases, financial documents and digital communications to identify the full extent of the network and trace the money trail. They are also examining whether the alleged proceeds were routed through multiple bank accounts, shell entities, e-wallets or cryptocurrency platforms.
