The United States has expressed its gratitude to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its “partnership and support” in breaking a massive cybercrime racket that stole more than Rs 350 crore from American citizens since 2023.
In a post on social media, the US Embassy said, “a big week for US-India law enforcement collaboration.” It added, “India’s CBI, in close coordination with the U.S. FBI, dismantled a transnational cybercrime syndicate that defrauded U.S. nationals of nearly USD 40M through tech-support scams, and arrested key figures behind the cyber fraud network.”
The post further said, “Through shared intelligence and coordinated action, both our agencies are working together to dismantle international networks, prevent future scams, and keep our citizens safe. Thank you for your partnership and support, CBI.”
Call centre busted in Amritsar
The CBI busted a fake call centre named ‘Digikaps The Future of Digital’, which was operating from Global Tower near Khalsa College of Women in Amritsar.
The raids, carried out in close coordination with the FBI, led to the arrest of three main accused – Jigar Ahmed, Yash Khurana and Inder Jeet Singh Bali. Officials also seized Rs 54 lakh in cash, eight mobile phones, laptops, and other digital evidence, according to a PTI report.
The gang had been cheating American citizens since 2023 by posing as tech support, according to the CBI.
They would trick victims into giving them remote access to their computers and bank accounts. Once inside, the fraudsters convinced the victims that their money was at risk and persuaded them to transfer funds into cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the gang.
Rs 350 crore stolen through crypto
The CBI revealed that the fraudsters had managed to siphon off nearly $40 million (Rs 350 crore) in this manner. Digital evidence gathered during the raids included 85 hard drives, 16 laptops, and 44 mobile phones, exposing the scale of the operation.
The raids were part of Operation Chakra-IV, under which the CBI is working with Interpol and international law enforcement agencies to crack down on organised tech-enabled crimes. “As part of Operation Chakra-IV, International Operations Division of CBI is rapidly identifying and taking action on the organised technology-enabled crime network in close coordination with Interpol and foreign law enforcement agencies,” a CBI official told the news agency.
The CBI also caught 34 people red-handed at the Amritsar call centre and is now tracing the money trail to identify more members of the wider cybercrime network. Officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing to track the proceeds of crime and establish more international links.