Chinese national among 212 arrested in Pakistan as authorities crack down on call center fraud

Pakistani authorities arrested 212 people, including Chinese nationals, in raids on three illegal call centers in Islamabad linked to an international online fraud network. The NCCIA conducted simultaneous operations, seizing hundreds of phones and computers. The centers allegedly used impersonation, tasking fraud, and romance scams to defraud victims in Pakistan and abroad.

Pakistani authorities arrested 212 people, including Chinese nationals, in coordinated raids on three illegal call centers in Islamabad. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) conducted simultaneous operations in the E-11 and G-10 sectors over the past 24 hours, targeting a network allegedly involved in defrauding victims in Pakistan and abroad. The centers used several schemes, including impersonating Google representatives, tasking fraud, and romance or love-dating scams. Tasking fraud involves fake online opportunities where victims complete simple assignments for small payments before being persuaded to deposit larger amounts. Authorities recovered 306 mobile phones, 383 computers and CPUs, and 299 monitors and laptops. The detainees included Pakistani and Chinese men and women, though the exact number of Chinese nationals was not disclosed. Investigators reported possible links to networks in India and Brazil. The call center premises were designated as a temporary sub-jail due to the large number of suspects. This operation is part of a broader Pakistani crackdown on illegal call centers and organized cyber fraud, following similar raids in July 2025 and August 2026 that also involved Chinese nationals.