David Dey and Team Behind Guwahati Cybercrime Network Busted: 191 Detained

Guwahati: In a significant breakthrough, Guwahati Police have arrested David Dey alias Debajyoti (31), the alleged mastermind behind a sprawling cybercrime network operating fake call centres in the city for over two years. Along with him, Rajan Sidana (39) from Ludhiana, Punjab, and Divyam Arora (31) from Delhi were also arrested, while 191 employees from across the country were detained during raids conducted at eight locations.

The detained employees, hailing from states such as Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura, were part of a well-organized scam that targeted both Indian and foreign nationals.

According to Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah, the scammers impersonated tech support representatives, preying on unsuspecting victims by instilling fear of hacked accounts, viruses, or compromised financial information. They used fake “tech support” pop-ups and unsolicited phone calls to gain access to victims’ personal devices and sensitive information under the guise of providing assistance.

The cybercriminals also operated fake toll-free numbers, directing victims to their call centres. Once in contact, they used manipulative tactics to extract sensitive financial and personal details, often gaining remote access to victims’ devices through malware or software installations.

To remain undetected, the gang operated from discreet buildings with no external signs of activity. They used leased internet connections under fake identities, establishing hundreds of phone lines. Educated yet unemployed youths were recruited with promises of legitimate job opportunities and then trained to execute the scams.

Police revealed that the gang laundered money through Bitcoin transactions, gift vouchers, and international hawala networks. Hawala channels also facilitated cash inflows from outside the state to fund the operations and pay employees. The monthly turnover of these fake call centres ran into several crores of rupees.

This crackdown marks a major step in curbing cybercrime in the region. Investigations are ongoing to uncover further links in this expansive network.

News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”