CBI Busts Rs 4-Crore/Month Cyber Fraud Racket Targeting U.S. Citizens From Pune, Mumbai

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Mumbai/Pune, 25th July 2025: In a major crackdown on cross-border cybercrime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed an elaborate scam run through an illegal call centre in Pune, with links to Mumbai, allegedly defrauding American citizens by impersonating officials from US federal agencies.

The agency launched an investigation on July 24 after registering a case against unidentified bank officials and four private individuals suspected of running the racket since January this year. According to CBI officials, the suspects were operating a clandestine call centre that used spoofed VoIP numbers to pose as representatives of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and even the Indian High Commission.

Victims—mostly U.S. residents—were reportedly threatened with legal action, deportation, or arrest unless they paid “penalties” ranging from $500 to $3,000 via gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Sophisticated Operation with Global Links
CBI officials revealed that the syndicate generated an estimated ₹3–4 crore in monthly revenue, which was laundered through mule bank accounts, hawala channels, and crypto wallets. Preliminary evidence also points to the complicity of certain unidentified banking personnel who allegedly facilitated fake account openings using forged Know Your Customer (KYC) documents.

“These criminals used encrypted platforms like WhatsApp and Signal to procure contact leads and operate anonymously. The scam victims were contacted via toll-free numbers and routed to their fake support desks. It’s a textbook case of digital impersonation,” a senior CBI official said on condition of anonymity.

Call centre workers were reportedly paid in cash routed via hawala from both Indian and foreign sources, with many being housed in rented flats across Pune.

Multi-City Raids and Seizures
Following the case registration, the CBI conducted coordinated searches across seven locations in Pune and Mumbai on July 24 and 25. This included the illegal call centre and residences of key suspects. The raids led to the recovery of:

27 mobile phones and 17 laptops linked to the fraudulent operations
₹11.2 lakh in unexplained cash (₹9.6 lakh from one suspect’s home)
150 grams of suspected narcotics
Cryptocurrency valued at ₹6.94 lakh in a digital wallet linked to one of the accused

Forensic scrutiny of the seized digital devices confirmed usage of internet-calling and spoofing applications shared through secure messaging apps.

Arrests and Further Investigation
Three individuals identified as key operators in the cyber fraud ring have been arrested. They were produced before the Special CBI Court in Mumbai and remanded to police custody until July 30, 2025.

CBI sources confirmed that investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects, including the alleged collaborators in the banking sector and international hawala network.

“We are exploring wider financial trails, including crypto and international money laundering routes. The arrests are just the beginning,” the official added.