CBI Arrests Cybercriminal Based on FBI Input for Defrauding US Citizens

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a suspected cybercriminal from Mumbai for defrauding a US citizen of USD 453,953 by posing as a tech support worker, a press release said on Saturday.

The suspect has been identified as Vishnu Rathi.

As part of the ongoing Operation CHAKRA-III, the CBI has taken action to dismantle a sophisticated cybercrime network backed by virtual assets and precious metals, targeting victims abroad since 2022. This operation was conducted in close coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (US).

The International Operations Wing of the CBI had registered a case against the accused, including Vishnu Rathi, under Sections 120-B and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as Section 66D read with Section 75 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 on September 9, 2024, and initiated an investigation.

It is alleged that between June and August 2022, the accused conspired to target a U.S. citizen by gaining unauthorized remote access to the victim’s computer and bank account. Under the pretense of providing technical support services, they falsely informed the victim that her bank account had been compromised. They allegedly manipulated her into transferring USD 453,953 to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by them.

After the case was registered, the CBI quickly conducted extensive searches at various locations linked to the suspect, recovering significant incriminating evidence.

The searches conducted by the CBI on September 12 and 13 at seven locations in Mumbai and Kolkata revealed that the transnational cyber financial crime network was channelling criminal proceeds from criminal activities through virtual assets and precious metals.

During a search at Vishnu Rathi’s residence, 57 gold bars of 100 grams each, Rs 16 million in cash, a mobile phone, a laptop for managing cryptocurrencies, locker details and other incriminating documents were recovered.

More operations are underway to identify more victims and collect more proceeds of crime.

The CBI is working with the FBI and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries through INTERPOL to follow up on leads. Operation CHAKRA-III was launched by the CBI to combat and dismantle organized cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement response using INTERPOL channels.

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