New Delhi, Aug 25 (HS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a global cyber fraud racket that targeted American citizens from bases in India, arresting three suspects in a coordinated operation carried out with support from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The arrested accused have been identified as Jigar Ahmed, Yash Khurana, and Inderjeet Singh Bali. According to the CBI, the crackdown—codenamed Operation Chakra-IV—led to the seizure of 85 hard drives, 16 laptops, 44 mobile phones, incriminating documents, and ₹54 lakh in cash. Several other linked premises were also searched as the probe continues to expand.

Investigations have revealed that the gang funneled illicit earnings through cryptocurrencies to move money across borders and evade detection. The syndicate, active since 2023, posed as a tech-support company to defraud victims. US citizens were duped through fear tactics, with callers falsely claiming that bank accounts had been compromised. Victims were then coerced into transferring funds to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the fraudsters.

The racket is estimated to have siphoned off nearly USD 40 million (₹330 crore) from unsuspecting American victims. On August 20, CBI teams raided multiple locations in Delhi and Amritsar, including an illegal call centre operating under the name Messrs Digicaps – The Future of Digital in Amritsar, where 34 individuals were caught red-handed while making fraudulent calls to US residents.

A case was formally registered on August 18 following multiple complaints, and searches are ongoing. The CBI is now working with Interpol and other allied foreign agencies to trace additional members of what appears to be a wide-reaching transnational cybercrime network.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar