NCCIA Arrests 273 in Karachi Call Center Raid Over Alleged Financial Fraud

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) conducted a raid on an alleged illegal call center on Sharea Faisal in Karachi on November 4, arresting 273 individuals suspected of involvement in international financial fraud. The operation was part of an investigation into a network accused of stealing credit card information and carrying out unauthorized financial transactions.

NCCIA Additional Director Shahzad Akbar stated that the call center was allegedly operating as a debt validation service and targeting foreign nationals through fraudulent phone calls. Employees reportedly impersonated representatives of foreign banks and financial service providers to obtain sensitive information, including Social Security numbers and credit card details. Investigators believe the stolen data was used to conduct unauthorized transactions via merchant accounts, with funds transferred to Pakistan through company accounts and remittance channels.

The NCCIA has registered a case under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, covering electronic fraud, identity theft, unauthorized access to data, and spoofing.

A Karachi court has granted bail to 98 women and juvenile suspects arrested during the raid. Judicial Magistrate East Gulraiz Memon approved their release against surety bonds of Rs. 5,000 each, with the release of minors subject to age verification. The court also handed over nine suspects, including the alleged owners of the call center, to the NCCIA for further investigation, while the remaining male suspects were sent to prison on judicial remand.

Following the arrests, families of the detained employees staged a protest near Baloch Colony Bridge on Sharea Faisal, disrupting traffic. The protesters claimed that their relatives were ordinary employees with no involvement in illegal activities and demanded their release.