Symbolic picture
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a large -scale cyber fraud and financial crime gangs from Pune and Mumbai. The gang used to target foreign nationals, especially American citizens, through fake identity, fishing calls and financial fraud. The CBI on Thursday registered a case against unidentified public servants and four private persons of banks for running an illegal call center running since January 2025 to carry forward a well -planned criminal conspiracy.
American citizens also cheat
The gang, along with other unknown individuals, was cheating unknown American citizens, taking the form of officers of agencies such as American Internal Revenue Service (IRS), American citizenship and immigration service (USCIS) and even Indian High Commissions.
Illegal call center was being operated
As a threat of legal action, victims were forced to pay an amount ranging from 500 to 3,000 dollars through gift cards or bitcoin transfer. Fake VoIP-based calls were being made from a secretly operated illegal call center in Pune.
RBI guidelines
It is discovered that the estimated Rs 3-4 crore monthly income earned illegally is being legalized through accounts, cryptocurrency and hawala. It has also been discovered that these tasks are supported by some unknown public and private sector bank officials, helping to open and operate fake accounts using forged KYC documents, which violate the established RBI and institutional guidelines.
Payment of money through hawala channels
Call center employees are paid cash from domestic places including US and Maharashtra and Gujarat through hawala channels. These employees live in several residential flats in Pune. The scam involves illegal acquisition of contact leads through sellers on messaging platforms like WhatsApp and signal. The victims are contacted through toll-free numbers issued and transmitted by these vendors, and eventually connected to the fraud call center.
CBI searched at 7 locations
After the case was registered, the CBI on Thursday searched the accused or 7 locations of the accused or persons associated with the illegal call center operated by the accused in Pune. In the illegal call center in Pune, various objectionable materials like 27 mobile phones and 17 laptops have been seized from the possession of the accused and their colleagues.
Drugs also seized
The investigation of these mobile phones and laptops has revealed that the accused were using caller services available on social media platforms like signal and WhatsApp. Apart from the above, unannounced cash of Rs 1.60 lakh and about 150 grams of intoxicating substance has been seized from an accused’s house. Checking the mobile phone of the accused has revealed that his wallet has a crypto currency of Rs 6.94 lakh.
3 accused arrested
Cash worth Rs 9.60 lakh has been recovered during the search of the residence of another accused. Three private accused were arrested and produced before the Special Judge of CBI cases, Mumbai and sent to police custody by 30 July 2025. Further investigation of this case is going on. (With language input)
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