CBI busts international cyber fraud racket in Pune-Mumbai; 3 held

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 26 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a major international cyber fraud syndicate operating from Pune and Mumbai, arresting three accused and seizing digital devices, cash, and narcotics in coordinated raids.
CBI registered the instant case on July 24 against unknown public servants of Banks and four private persons for running an illegal Call Centre operating since January 2025 in furtherance of a well-organised criminal conspiracy.
The group, in connivance with other unknown persons, has been impersonating officials from agencies such as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and even the Indian High Commission, to defraud unsuspecting U.S. citizens, said the CBI.
Under the threat of legal action. The victims were coerced into paying amounts ranging from $500 to $3,000 through gift cards or Bitcoin transfers. Spoofed VoIP-based calls were being made from a covertly operated illegal Call Centre situated at Pune.
It has been revealed that the illegally earned proceeds, estimated to be ₹ 3-4 crores monthly, are being laundered via mule accounts, cryptocurrency, and hawala routes. It was also revealed that these operations are supported by certain unknown public and private sector bank officials, who facilitate the opening and operation of fake accounts using forged KYC documents, violating established RBI and institutional guidelines.
The call centre workers are paid in cash routed via hawala channels from both the U.S. and domestic locations, including Maharashtra and Gujarat. These workers are housed in multiple residential flats across Pune. The scam's operation includes the illegal acquisition of contact leads through vendors on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal. Victims are contacted via toll-free numbers generated and disseminated by these vendors, eventually connecting them to the fraudulent call centre, said the CBI.
After registration of the case, searches at 7 places of the accused or the persons associated with them, including the illegal Call Centre run by the accused persons at Pune, were conducted by CBI on 24/25.07.2025.
Various incriminating articles of cyber fraud/digital devices, viz. 27 mobile phones and 17 laptops, have been seized from the possession of the accused persons and their associates at the illegal Call Centre at Pune. (ANI)