NCCIA busts 12-member international cyber fraud gang

Punjab National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Tuesday arrested 12 members of an organised international cyber fraud network accused of impersonating foreign embassies and defrauding citizens through fake visa, immigration and diplomatic service schemes

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jul, 2026) Punjab National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Tuesday arrested 12 members of an organised international cyber fraud network accused of impersonating foreign embassies and defrauding citizens through fake visa, immigration and diplomatic service schemes.

According to the NCCIA spokesperson, the group had been active since 2019 and allegedly used the identities of the embassies of Italy, Germany, Sweden, Oman and Saudi Arabia, among others, to deceive citizens and obtain millions of rupees through fraudulent visa appointments, immigration processing and document verification services.

Investigators said the suspects created fake Google business profiles, fraudulent web pages and forged official-looking documents. They also allegedly conducted video calls while wearing Singapore Police uniforms to intimidate victims and lend credibility to their claims.

The spokesperson said the gang had recruited individuals fluent in Arabic, Saudi dialects and other foreign languages to impersonate embassy staff and government officials while communicating with victims.

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Officials further revealed that the suspects used advanced call-forwarding and call-spoofing technology to link official embassy telephone numbers with numbers under their control. Victims were contacted through these numbers and later approached via WhatsApp, where they were asked to pay substantial amounts for visa appointments, immigration services and document authentication.

NCCIA described the operation as one of its most significant successes against international cybercrime networks.

During a raid conducted in Bahria Town Phase-IV, Rawalpindi, under case No. 54/2026, the agency arrested all 12 suspects from a fake call centre.

Recovered items included 21 mobile phones, a Toyota Corolla car, a Singapore Police uniform, fake Google business profiles, phishing emails, forged appointment letters, PTCL records, multiple Gmail accounts and other digital evidence, which had been taken into custody for forensic analysis.