CBI busts major cyber fraud racket in Pune, Mumbai; three arrested

Mumbai/Pune, July 25 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a significant international cyber fraud racket operating out of Pune and Mumbai. The action led to the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of digital devices, large amounts of cash, and narcotics.

According to a CBI press release issued on Friday, the busted syndicate was involved in defrauding foreign nationals, particularly US citizens, through a network of impersonation, phishing calls, and financial deception. The illegal operation, active since January 2025, involved spoofed VoIP-based calls originating from an unlawful call centre based in Pune.

The CBI registered the case on July 24 against unknown public servants of banks and four private individuals for running the illicit operation as part of a well-organised criminal conspiracy. The accused allegedly impersonated officials from US agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and even the Indian missions. Victims were threatened with legal consequences and coerced into making payments ranging from $500 to $3,000 via gift cards or cryptocurrency transfers.

Investigations have revealed that the fraudulent operation generated illegal proceeds estimated between Rs 3 to Rs 4 crore per month. The money was laundered using mule accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and hawala networks. CBI sources said that certain bank officials - both from public and private sector banks - are suspected of aiding the racket by facilitating the opening of fake accounts using forged KYC documents, in violation of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) norms.

The call centre staff, mostly housed across multiple residential flats in Pune, were paid in cash funnelled through hawala channels from within India and abroad, including the US, as well as Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The syndicate got the leads through vendors who were active on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal. Victims were contacted through toll-free numbers generated and distributed by these vendors, eventually directing them to the fraudulent call centre.

After the registration of the case, the CBI conducted raids at seven locations in Pune and Mumbai on July 24 and 25, including the illegal call centre premises. During the searches, officers seized 27 mobile phones, 17 laptops, and several incriminating digital devices. Preliminary analysis of the seized devices confirmed the use of social media-based caller services for executing the fraud.

In addition to this, unexplained cash amounting to Rs 1.60 lakh and approximately 150 grams of a narcotic substance were recovered from the residence of one of the accused. A separate raid at another accused's residence led to the recovery of Rs 9.60 lakh in unaccounted cash. Investigators also found cryptocurrency worth Rs 6.94 lakh in one of the accused’s digital wallets.

The three arrested individuals have been presented before the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Mumbai and have been sent to police custody until July 30.

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