Indian federal law enforcement, in collaboration with Amazon and Microsoft, has conducted a series of raids targeting tech scam fraud rings that operated across the country. These scammers posed as customer support agents for major tech companies, using deceptive pop-up messages to convince victims that their computers had technical problems, then charged them hundreds of dollars for fake repairs.
Over the past five years, more than 2,000 Amazon and Microsoft customers were targeted, mainly in the United States but also in Canada, Europe, and the United Kingdom. This joint effort represents a commitment to combating tech support fraud.
The operation, known as “Operation Chakra-II,” involved intensive searches at 76 locations across multiple states in India. Such tech scams are widespread, with 60% of internet users reporting exposure to them in 2021, leading to 7% of those individuals losing money.
Younger individuals, particularly from Gen Z and millennials, are susceptible to these scams due to their increased online activity. The scam centers disproportionately target the elderly. Microsoft’s research reveals that tech support scams accounted for significant losses, with victims collectively losing over $1 billion, as reported in the FBI’s 2022 Internet Crime Report.
The crackdown has highlighted the severity of tech support scams and their impact on users worldwide. By partnering with Indian authorities, Amazon and Microsoft aim to combat these fraudulent activities and protect their customers from falling victim to such scams. The involvement of these tech giants has added a significant boost to law enforcement efforts to dismantle these scam rings.
