The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recently made a significant breakthrough in dismantling a sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime network that was operating out of Delhi-NCR. This operation led to the arrest of 43 individuals involved in the criminal syndicate which has been estimated to have defrauded people of over 20 million USD.

The agency’s investigation, codenamed Chakra-III, not only uncovered the network’s headquarters, a call center located in Cyber City, Gurgaon, but also revealed live cybercrime operations taking place during the raid. The global network had been operational in multiple countries since 2022, according to sources familiar with the case.

In a collaborative effort, the CBI worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the United States and Interpol to crack down on this criminal network. As a result of the operation, a significant amount of incriminating evidence was gathered, including five laptops, 130 hard disks, 65 mobile phones, financial transaction details, call recordings, and victim information used for targeting individuals.

The modus operandi of the network involved impersonating legitimate entities and tricking targets into clicking on malicious pop-ups that would download malware onto their systems. Victims would then be coerced into making payments for the supposed restoration of their compromised devices. The proceeds of these crimes were reportedly funneled through multiple countries before reaching Hong Kong.

The network targeted individuals globally, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and various European countries. Some victims were lured into the scam through fake pop-up messages that warned them of security threats or malware infections, prompting them to contact a fake technical support service. Once connected to the call center in Gurgaon, scammers posing as technical support personnel would convince victims to grant remote access to their devices, allowing them to install malware and demand payment for resolving the security issues.

The CBI suspects that the network may have defrauded thousands of victims worldwide, with the total amount stolen running into several crores of rupees. The agency is now focused on tracing the money trail and identifying the masterminds behind the operation, working in collaboration with the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies through Interpol.

“This successful operation by CBI underscores India’s commitment to combating cybercrime and protecting its citizens from financial fraud. It also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational criminal networks,” a spokesperson for the agency stated.

To prevent falling victim to similar scams, the CBI has advised citizens to be wary of unsolicited pop-up messages, avoid sharing personal information or granting remote access to their devices, and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

In conclusion, the dismantling of this cyber-enabled financial crime network highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime on a global scale. The collaboration between various agencies demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges posed by transnational criminal networks.

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