Call centre misusing Microsoft’s name busted in Chennai

The cybercrime wing of the CB-CID busted a call centre that misused Microsoft’s brand name to cheat people in the guise of rectifying software issues.

The police said the fraudsters were successfully running the call centre for the past eight years. Among the arrested were three directors of iTrope Technologies in Ambattur.

The arrested were identified as Vivek, Mohammad Umar and Rajesh Philomin, who floated the company in 2013. They expanded their business to Australia too in another name. However, the company was raided by Australian officials in 2019 and a few were arrested. Despite the crackdown, the accused continued to lure people using Microsoft’s name.

The police said the company floated advertisements on Google offering Microsoft services with fake websites, which also had toll free numbers to reach them. Making the users approach them for services made the customers believe that they are associated with the Microsoft and convinces them to install applications that give them remote access to users computers.

By accessing the commuters remotely, they misrepresent normal features as signs of problems and offer services to resolve them. Based on Microsoft India Private Limited’s complaint, the cybercrime wing of the CB-CID police raided the firm and seized incriminating documents and materials from the company and the trio will be remanded in jail on Friday.