Pakistan police arrested 149 people during a raid on a scam call centre in Faisalabad. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) launched the operation after receiving a tip-off. Authorities confirmed that the gang tricked people using fake investment offers.
The group included 78 Pakistanis, 48 Chinese, 8 Nigerians, 4 Filipinos, 2 Sri Lankans, 6 Bangladeshis, 2 Myanmar nationals, and 1 Zimbabwean. The NCCIA also reported that 18 of those arrested were women. These individuals convinced people to invest small amounts, then demanded larger sums.
The scammers first gave fake profits to gain trust. A police report said, “The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people by assigning small investment tasks like subscribing to different TikTok and YouTube channels.” The report also added, “Later, they shifted them to Telegram links for further online tasks requiring larger investments.”
Muhammad Sajid, a Pakistani victim, shared his story with BBC Urdu. He joined a Telegram group with thousands of members and felt impressed by the company’s setup. Over time, he gave more than 3.138 million rupees ($36,600) in separate payments.
The NCCIA raided the location on Tuesday and seized hundreds of computers, servers, crypto exchange devices, and foreign SIM cards. Police said that the centre operated from the house of Malik Tehseen Awan, the former head of Faisalabad’s power grid. Despite this, officials have not arrested him yet.
On Wednesday, the police presented all 149 suspects in court. The judge gave NCCIA custody of 87 suspects for five days. Meanwhile, the court sent the remaining 62 suspects to jail on judicial remand until 23 July.
This case highlights how scammers use social media and messaging apps to trap victims. The NCCIA explained that fake returns, online tasks, and Telegram groups formed the core of the fraud. The agency continues to investigate further leads from the raid.
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