The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing has successfully dismantled a sophisticated illegal SIM box network in Chennai, exposing a major cybercrime operation linked to hundreds of fraud complaints across India and underscoring the critical need for enhanced digital security.IMAGE: This is an AI-generated image and has been used only for representational purposes.Key PointsThe Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing busted an illegal SIM box network in Chennai’s Saidapet, arresting two employees on Thursday.The operation, based on intelligence from I4C and DoT, uncovered a firm using a legitimate loan recovery front for cybercrime activities.Police seized 11 SIM boxes, 182 SIM cards, servers, and CPUs, linking the setup to 301 cybercrime complaints nationwide.SP Selvanagarathinam urged citizens to practice digital hygiene, use two-factor authentication, and avoid unsolicited links or calls.Authorities advise reporting suspicious calls or online financial scams to helpline 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in immediately.The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing busted an illegal SIM box network operating under the guise of a loan recovery agency in Chennai’s Saidapet, arresting two employees and seizing equipment linked to hundreds of cyber fraud complaints, police said on Thursday.Acting on joint intelligence inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), police raided the premises of Forte Management Services and Polly Towers in Saidapet. Uncovering The Fraudulent OperationDetailing the operation, Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime Wing) S Selvanagarathinam told PTI Videos that the firm used a legitimate business front to shield its illegal backend activities.”They have been running a front-end legal company in the name of Forte Management Services where they have been the recovery and collection agent for loans obtained from banks and NBFCs, but in the back-end they have been conducting various cyber crimes,” the SP added.During the searches, officers seized 11 SIM boxes — comprising three 64-slot devices, seven 32-slot devices, and one damaged unit –alongside 182 SIM cards, two servers, and two CPUs.Understanding SIM Box Technology And Its MisuseA SIM box fraud involves using a hardware device containing dozens or hundreds of SIM cards to bypass standard telecom gateways, masking the true origin of a phone call or message. International VOIP calls display as a normal local +91 mobile number.Police arrested the company’s manager, identified as Srinivasan, and an IT technician named Sanjay. “We are yet to arrest the owner, and the inquiry of the other employees and the analysis of the evidence and equipment seized in this case will be commenced from today,” the SP added.Investigative data reveals that the unauthorised telecommunications setup is linked to 301 cybercrime complaints registered across India on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), with 52 of these cases originating from Tamil Nadu.Highlighting ongoing enforcement against illegal telecommunications setups, SP Selvanagarathinam remarked, “This is not the first SIM box case. In Tamil Nadu, various SIM box operations have been uncovered even in the headquarters and in field units, so this enforcement will continue. This is a very coordinated and integrated operation done by the Telecom Department, Cyber Crime Wing, and other involved agencies”.Public Advisory On Cyber Security ThreatsSelvanagarathinam also urged citizens to practice strict precautionary measures against evolving cyber threats. “People have to be very careful in this digital era. First of all, they have to keep all their data and information very safe. They should use all digital hygiene practices like having two-factor authentication, passwords, and fingerprints so that the data or information on their devices is not stolen,” he stated.He advised the public not to click on unsolicited links or emails and warned against both coercive tactics and fraudulent financial lures.”They should not respond to calls, both threatening and inducement,” Selvanagarathinam cautioned. “Inducement in the sense they should not respond to calls where people suggest investment trading in cryptocurrency or share trading… Also, there is the element of fear where they are being threatened in the name of ‘digital arrest’ and other types of scams like non-consensual intimate images.”Police emphasised that no legitimate law enforcement or government agency will ever demand money or financial transfers over a phone or video call to settle legal matters or prevent arrest.Reporting Cybercrime Incidents”If they find anything malicious on their phone or receive such calls, I sincerely request them to call 1930 and give us the information immediately. Your complaint will be taken, and further action in tracing the cyber criminals will be followed up,” SP Selvanagarathinam urged.Citizens encountering suspicious calls, messages, or online financial scams can also report incidents directly via the official portal at www.cybercrime.gov.in.Disclaimer: News content is sourced from the stated source. Headlines, summaries, section headers, and images are automatically generated or selected using AI/algorithms and may not always be fully accurate. Readers are advised to refer to the full article for complete context.
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