Noida, June 13: The Gautam Buddh Nagar police have achieved a significant breakthrough in their campaign against cybercrime. Officers from the Sector 63 police station have uncovered an organized international cyber gang that defrauded foreign nationals from the United States and Europe by posing as fake airline ticket booking services. Thirteen cybercriminals have been arrested in connection with this case.
Authorities seized 13 laptops, 16 mobile phones, a router, 10 microphones and headphones, along with other digital devices and forged documents used in the cybercrime.
According to police reports, the arrests were made on Saturday based on technical intelligence and local informants in the Sector 63 area. Investigations revealed that the accused ran paid advertisements on Google Ads and Facebook under the guise of travel and airline ticket booking support. These ads specifically targeted citizens from the US and Europe.
When foreign nationals contacted the numbers listed in the advertisements, their calls were directed to dialer software operated on the criminals’ laptops. The suspects then impersonated representatives of reputable airlines or travel agencies, luring victims with promises of discounted airfares.
Payments were collected in dollars through international payment gateways. In many instances, victims received fake tickets, while in other cases, no tickets were issued at all.
The police investigation also uncovered that most tickets were booked for travel months in advance, delaying victims’ realization of the fraud. During this time, the criminals frequently changed their mobile numbers, digital systems, and other technical means to evade detection. Forensic analysis of the seized digital devices revealed evidence linked to transactions amounting to approximately $1.05 million (around ₹10 crore) and data on foreign victims, indicating that this gang was conducting organized cyber fraud on an international scale.
Police officials noted that all arrested individuals are highly educated and fluent in American and European accents, which helped them gain the trust of foreign nationals. The police are now working to trace the gang’s financial network, bank accounts, and other accomplices. This operation is considered a major achievement for Noida police in their fight against cybercrime.
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