100 Malayalis engaged abroad as cyber scammers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : If familiarity can breed contempt, similarity can breed crime! State police have initiated an elaborate exercise to identify Malayalis employed abroad as call-centre executives with firms engaged in cyber crime. The cyber investigation wing launched the mission after scammers struck havoc, swindling nearly 23,750 people in the state of around Rs 200 crore last year.

In most of the cases, victims were defrauded by call-centre executives hailing from the state. The investigation has so far revealed the involvement of nearly 100 people working for companies operating out of the UAE, Cambodia and Indonesia. Of these, nearly 15 have been identified, said top police sources.