Accuses were 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 : CBI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a large-scale cyber fraud and financial crime syndicate operating out of Pune and Mumbai, targeting foreign nationals particularly U.S. citizens through impersonation, phishing calls, and financial deception.
CBI registered the instant case 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-organized 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 under the threat of legal action.
The CBI said that 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 Rs. 3 to 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, CBI further added.
According to the CBI, 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.
The CBI conducted searches at seven places of accused or the persons associated with them including the illegal call centre run by the accused persons at Pune. The teams seized 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 illegal Call Centre at Pune.
