THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Sept 30: In a crackdown on organized cybercrime spanning multiple states, the CBI has arrested 26 individuals allegedly involved in scams targeting victims around the globe, officials reported on Monday.
The operation, named Chakra-III, commenced with raids at 32 locations in Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Visakhapatnam late on September 26. The central agency has confiscated cash amounting to Rs 58.45 lakh, along with locker keys and three luxury vehicles, officials reported.
The agency conducted raids at four call centers, including V.C. Inconformities Pvt. Ltd at Regent Plaza in Pune, V.C. Infrometrix Pvt. Ltd in Murli Nagar, Visakhapatnam, Viajex Solutions in Hyderabad, and Atriya Global Services Pvt. Ltd in Visakhapatnam.
According to officials, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intercepted 170 individuals participating in live online criminal activities across the four call centers.
The CBI has apprehended 10 cybercriminals in Pune, five in Hyderabad, and 11 in Visakhapatnam. The agency is continuing its investigation and questioning regarding the involvement of other employees at these illegal call centers.
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The cybercrime network mainly targeted victims in the US, 951 Items confiscated
According to a CBI spokesperson, the cybercriminals targeted in this operation were engaged in various illicit activities, such as impersonating tech support services to approach victims, particularly in the USA, claiming their systems had been hacked.
The criminals convinced victims that their identities had been stolen and unauthorized transactions were occurring in their bank accounts, asserting that they were under investigation by their countries’ authorities.
They coerced victims into transferring their funds to new bank accounts set up by the criminals to “safeguard” their finances. In some cases, victims were pressured to send money via international gift cards or cryptocurrency. The statement highlighted that significant financial losses were suffered by the victims targeted by this criminal network.
These operations have led to the seizure of crucial digital evidence and incriminating materials. A total of 951 items have been confiscated, including electronic devices, mobile phones, laptops, financial information, communication records, and other materials used by this cybercrime network for illicit activities and victim fraud, according to the spokesperson.
