Chinese Companies Accused of Operating Scam ‘IT Centers’ in Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad: Multiple Chinese companies, allegedly named Starwin and Dgvertex, etc. have established scam centers across Islamabad and other major cities of Pakistan. These fraudulent enterprises operate under multiple aliases and exploit Pakistani youth and defraud international victims.

These scam operations are being run from various locations in Islamabad, including G-9/4, G-8, and GT Road near Phase 7, Rawalpindi as well as other cities across the country.

How the Scam Operates?

These scams involves hiring unsuspecting Pakistani youth to conduct fraudulent online activities, often targeting international victims. Many of these scams operate under the guise of fake investment schemes, online job offers, and high-return financial promises. Different companies have slightly different fraud models, which follows a structured pattern:

• Employees are assigned small online tasks and paid minimal amounts to gain their trust.
• Once trust is built, victims are asked to pay a costly subscription fee to access further tasks and earnings.
• After collecting large sums from multiple victims, the company blocks them and disappears without a trace.

The fraudsters, according to the victims, establish an operating system that conceals their true identities during the course of the employment.  It is difficult to detect these operations due to the detailed execution plans and substantial funding that they receive.

Victims have revealed a multilevel fraud system operating within these Chinese-backed fraudulent enterprises. Chinese scam operators post false remote work job opportunities through social media to trick people seeking employment.

Once individuals pay an initial registration fee, they are asked for additional “security deposits” with false assurances of refunds and training. Eventually, the scammers cut off communication and disappear with the money.

One victim shared their experience, stating, “I was tricked into believing I could make PKR 25,000 per month through this scheme. They first took a registration fee, then a security deposit of PKR 7,000. They assured me it was refundable, but after a few days, they disappeared without a trace.”

Despite mounting evidence and multiple reports from victims and whistleblowers, authorities have yet to take decisive action. The presence of foreign-backed fraud centers in the capital of Pakistan raises significant concerns regarding the corruption and regulatory failures of law enforcement agencies.

On the other side, these scam centers employees (mostly Pakistanis) are subjected to severe working conditions, as evidenced by a variety of sources. Workers at these companies are required to work for 12 to 13 hours per day and are granted only one leisure day per month. However, they are compensated with a monthly salary of PKR 60,000 to 80,000. Employees are subjected to intimidation and threats from the perpetrators when they attempt to resign or expose the scam. These details were revealed from the documents obtained by TechJuice and on-site evidence collected by a cover journalist.

The working environment at a scam center was described by a former employee as “modern-day slavery” due to the coercion of staff members to deceive individuals on a global scale.  The authorities are unable to monitor or hold anyone accountable for the illegal activities because the scam center do not maintain official documentation of their workers.

Numerous individuals who are concerned have attempted to inform the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other law enforcement agencies about these fraudulent operations.  The evidence indicates that lower-ranking FIA officials are paid gratuities to ensure that the scam activities continue uninterrupted.

“I tried lodging an FIR, but the police declined, saying it falls under cyber security and that FIA must handle it. Later, sources informed me that these Chinese operators have paid FIA officials hefty amounts to ensure they remain untouched for at least six to seven months,” an anonymous whistleblower revealed.

Earlier last week, FIA’s Cybercrime Cell, working alongside intelligence agencies, targeted a similar illegal scam center allegedly run by Chinese nationals in Islamabad’s F11 sector. While the raid successfully led to the detention of more than two dozen individuals, including foreign nationals it caused a stir on internet when employees ran with the company equipment. No details have been shared regarding the update by the FIA.

The immediate intervention is required as schemes such as these continue to tarnish Pakistan’s reputation and exploit its workforce. The government, FIA, and law enforcement agencies are being urged by concerned citizens to conduct a comprehensive investigation, dismantle these criminal networks, and bring the perpetrators to justice.