Jamshedpur Cyber Gang Dupes Americans; International Links Under Investigation

Jamshedpur — Cybercriminals from Jamshedpur have allegedly cheated at least 12 citizens of the United States, triggering a wide-ranging investigation at both national and international levels, officials reported on Wednesday.

The case came to light after victims approached US authorities, who passed the complaints on to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. This led to swift action by Indian investigative agencies, who have now begun probing the matter from multiple angles.

Preliminary findings confirm that calls originating from Jamshedpur numbers were used to commit the fraud. Following this, central agencies alerted Jharkhand Police, after which Jamshedpur City SP Kumar Shivashish instructed all DSPs and police stations to increase vigilance and crack down on local cyber networks.

Police believe the gang is operating from localities including Sakchi, Mango, Telco, Govindpur, and Baridih. Some suspects have already been identified, with raids currently underway. Investigators noted that the fraudsters often disguised themselves as tech-support representatives or government officials, convincing US citizens of fake computer or banking problems before extorting money.

According to officials, the criminals ran their racket like a professional call centre, employing English-speaking members specifically to target foreigners. Authorities also suspect that victims from other countries could be involved.

Senior officers confirmed that central and international agencies are being engaged to trace financial links and expose the ringleaders. Evidence so far suggests the group’s operations were mainly concentrated in Mango, Telco, and Sakchi, where both the fraudulent calls and money transactions were managed.

Police suspect the racket may have been running for an extended period before being detected through international complaints.

With inputs from IANS