CBI arrests 26 alleged cyber criminals running a transnational crime network | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 26 suspected cybercriminals, including 10 in Pune, who used illegal call centers in four Indian cities to defraud people worldwide, especially in the United States, officials said on Monday.

Internally called Operation Chakra-III, the CBI raided 32 locations in Pune, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Ahmedabad late September 26, based on inputs from the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Interpol. The agency seized cash ₹58.45 lakh, a range of digital devices, three luxury vehicles and other evidence from the call centers.

The raids included VC Infrometrix in Pune, VC Infrometrix and Atriya Global Services in Visakhapatnam, and Viajex Solutions in Hyderabad, which were reportedly operating since June.

During the searches, CBI teams intercepted 170 people involved in live online criminal activities at the call centers.

The cybercriminals were involved in a range of illegal activities, including calling people, mainly in the US, posing as tech support providers and saying their devices had been hacked, a CBI official said. The fraudsters convinced victims that their identities had been stolen and that a large number of unauthorized transactions were taking place on their bank accounts. They also told the victims that they were under the scanner of the investigation agencies of their respective countries due to some suspicious orders placed by them, the official added.

Cybercriminals then tricked victims into transferring their bank funds to new bank accounts provided by them, saying this would safeguard their savings. In some cases, the criminals are said to have even intimidated victims into transferring their money to them via international gift cards or cryptocurrency. “Large wrongful losses have been suffered by the victims targeted by this criminal network,” the CBI official said.

The CBI arrested 26 alleged key figures working for the cybercrime network: 10 in Pune, 11 in Visakhapatnam and five in Hyderabad. During the raids, the agency seized 951 items including electronic devices, financial information, communications data and incriminating materials used by the suspected cybercriminals. “This operation has resulted in significant disruption and dismantling of the vast transnational technology-enabled crime network,” the CBI official said.

The CBI case was registered on September 23 against 18 people and three companies under Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66D (punishment for cheating by personation using a computer source) and 75 (any violation). or offense committed outside India by any person irrespective of their nationality) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The suspect allegedly defrauded three U.S. citizens of a total of $55,000 in July. One of them, a certain John, was duped on the pretext that suspicious transactions made by him were being investigated by the US Internal Revenue Service, a claim which was false. Another victim was asked to transfer his money worth $15,000 to a crypto wallet created specifically to deceive him. The suspect allegedly used remote access software to illegally channel the proceeds of the crime.

The CBI is investigating a broader network and related international leads linked to such criminal networks, in coordination with HSI and other foreign agencies. The American agency HSI investigates crime in the US, abroad and online.