CBI searches 6 firms targeting computer users through tech support scam, Rs 190-cr assets seized

NEW DELHI: The CBI has seized assets worth Rs 190 crore during its searches against six companies booked for a technical support scam targeting Microsoft customers, an investigation which has received praise from United States' Department of Justice, officials said Friday.

Besides the huge financial assets, the CBI during its searches on September 17 also recovered a plethora of digital evidence indicating nefarious activities of six Delhi-NCR-based companies involved in the scam, gold worth Rs 55 lakh and cash of over Rs 25 lakh, the CBI said in a statement on Friday.

The CBI is collaborating with US agencies and authorities of other friendly countries against the fraudsters who allegedly took remote control of computers by sending a pop-up message of malware presence on their systems, they said.

Once the user dialled the number given on the pop-up he was directed to call centre executives who demanded huge sums of money to clean the non-existent malware and also installed unnecessary damaging softwares of the users' computers, they said.

The central agency had conducted searches at the premises of accused companies -- New Delhi-based Softwill Infotech Private Limited and Saburi TLC Worldwide Services Pvt. Ltd, Jaipur-based Innovana Think labs Limited and Systweak Software Private Limited, Noida-based Benovellient Technologies Private Limited, and Noida and Gurugram-based Saburi Global Services Pvt Ltd.

The searches were spread across various locations including Jaipur, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad & Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) at the premises of private companies and residential premises of accused persons in an on-going investigation of the case, CBI Spokesperson RK Gaur said.