DEC RAIDS INTERNET FRAUD SYNDICATE, SEIZES SIM BOXING MACHINE WITH OVER 13, 000 SIM CARDS
DEC uncovers International fraud syndicate employing school leavers for fraud
TAKING advantage of unemployed Secondary School leavers, a named organisation started employing them under the pretext of call center agents but little known to them, they were actually being involved in an international cyber fraud syndicate scheme operated from within Roma in Lusaka.
An operation conducted by the Drug enforcement commission, Zambia information and communication authority (ZICTA), Immigration and Anti-terrorism Unit unearthed this scheme by an organisation called Golden Top Support Services that were responsible for running a sophisticated internet Fraud.
According to authorities 77 individuals, of which 50 are males and 27 are females from Zambia, 22 are Chinese nationals and one Cameroonian who were found to be residing in the country without proper documentation.
“Following the raid, 17 Zambian suspects were released, while 60, along with 22 Chinese male adults and one Cameroonian, were detained for further questioning.” DEC director general Nason Banda said.
In a statement made available to Kalemba, Banda said the organisation was involved in cyber fraudulent activities mostly used young Zambian school leavers as employees .
“Young Zambian youths were employed under the impression that they shall work as call center agents, tasking them with engaging in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users.
These individuals engaged in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users across platforms such as Whatsapp, telegram and chat rooms.” Banda said
Banda added that the syndicate’s operations scope extended beyond Zambia with evidence of communication with individuals in Singapore, Peru and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He revealed that among some of the items recovered are sim boxing machines used for fraudulent activities along with 13, 000 sim cards.
“The Sims are both of domestic and international counties, so far we have counted about 1,742 Vodafone sim cards, 7,778 MTN sim cards, 4, 016 Airtel sim cards including 11 sim boxes” Banda disclosed.
Other items uncovered include two firearms with 70 rounds of ammunition, 93 desktop computers, 42 new unboxed computers and two motor vehicles including a black Toyota alphad with registration number BAT 8373 and a Toyota land cruiser registration number BAE 5675 belonging to a Chinese national linked to the business..
By Elesani phiri
Kalemba
