Call centre owner, five others remanded in FIA custody in credit card data theft case

A judicial magistrate on Thursday remanded six suspects in the Federal Investigation Agency's custody in a case pertaining to an alleged online scam involving theft of confidential financial data of foreign nationals.

The FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center arrested Muhammad Kashif, Umair Karim, Noshad Karim, Mehtab Ali, Obaid Akram and Haider Karim, after a raid on an "illegal" call centre in Karachi's PECHS area.

Investigating officer Ameer Ali Khoso produced the held suspects before Judicial Magistrate (East) Yusra Ashfaq and requested their physical remand in the FIA custody until January 22 for interrogation.

He informed the magistrate that the suspects were involved in theft of confidential data of credit cards. He said that the suspects would make "fraud calls" by impersonating bank representatives to obtain confidential information from US credit card holders for unauthorized/ illegal funds transfer.

The IO said that during interrogation, the suspects revealed that more merchants and call centres were involved in this crime. He said the suspects are required to be interrogated about their modus operandi and to trace and arrest their more accomplices, pleading with the magistrate to hand them over to FIA for 14 days.

To a query regarding the delay in producing the suspects on January 9, despite their arrest on January 7, IO Ameer Ali explained that he had presented them before a Malir magistrate on January 8. However, the magistrate declined to entertain the case over a lack of jurisdiction, he added. He further informed that he had already interrogated three of the suspects.

On the other hand, the defence counsel opposed the FIA's remand plea and moved an application seeking to discharge the suspects under Section 63 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The counsel said the men were innocent as they were legally doing their business, terming the case "witch-hunt".

Advocate Mohsin Rahimon appeared on behalf of the complainant. After hearing arguments, the magistrate dismissed the defence side's plea for discharging the suspects and remanded them in the FIA custody for two days.

According to the FIA, during an inquiry initiated on a complaint of Nawab Khan regarding an illegal call center and data theft, it transpired that suspect Muhammad Kashif, owner of Permetek/zenith codes, along with Umair Karim, Noshad Karim, Mehtab Ali, Obaid Akram and Haider Karim and others are involved in theft of confidential financial data of credit cards of foreign nationals through an online scam.

It said that a raid was conducted on the office of the suspects in PECHS following an approval of the competent authority and search warrant obtained from a Malir judicial magistrate. On reaching the office, the FIA said, Kashif introduced himself as owner of Permetek /zenith codes to the raiding party and failed to provide any legal/valid documents to run the call centre.

It said that during search of the premises, it transpired that the suspects were "involved in making fraud calls by impersonating themselves as representatives of the foreign banks for unauthorized / illegal balance transfer and extracting personal / critical information without intimation/consent of US and Canadian card holders."

"The agents extract the social security number, cellphone number, DOB, MMN, while impersonating as bank representatives, after getting their confidential details pertain[ing] to bank accounts/credict cards, these details were shifted to different merchants and get paid," read the FIR. It said electronic gadgets used in the commission of the crime were seized during the raid.

"On examination of the electronic/digital gadgets it is found that the alleged persons are involved in cheating/ fraud by electronic means," it added. "The Initial Technical Report also shows the presence of files containing sensitive data of foreign nationals/ name/ credit card details, CVV Code, card numbers and computer software (eyebeam dialer) used in the commission of crime etc." The FIR has been lodged under the relevant sections of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Pakistan Penal Code.