In a major breakthrough under its anti-cybercrime initiative ‘Chakra-V’, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed an international cyber fraud ring that was scamming victims in the United States and Canada. Following targeted intelligence, CBI teams conducted raids at three locations across India and arrested one key accused, Rahul Arora, in New Delhi.
The investigation uncovered a sophisticated operation involving impersonation, spoofed calls, and the use of advanced digital tools to defraud foreign nationals. Among the major recoveries were virtual digital assets (cryptocurrency) worth Rs 2.8 crore and unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 22 lakh.
How did the cyber fraud network operate?
According to CBI officials, the accused posed as government representatives and tech support agents from reputed firms in order to extract sensitive information and money from victims abroad.
The CBI also seized key evidence during the raids, including international calling devices, caller ID spoofing software, lead generation tools based on social engineering, and voice recordings and scripts for scamming people.
The evidence suggests this was a highly-organised network with a clear operational base in India but victims primarily in North America.
What is Operation Chakra-V and why is it significant?
Launched in 2023, Chakra-V is the CBI’s flagship operation to tackle cyber-enabled financial crimes—especially those with cross-border ramifications.
The initiative is designed to target tech support scams, phishing and identity theft, cryptocurrency-based fraud, and dark web-related financial crime.
Chakra-V is distinguished by its multi-agency coordination, working closely with:
- State cybercrime cells,
- The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C),
- Interpol, and
- The FBI.
The campaign focuses heavily on digital forensics, dark web tracing, and seizure of virtual digital assets (VDAs).
What does this mean for India’s cybercrime enforcement capabilities?
The operation has shown the CBI’s enhanced digital seizure and forensics capabilities, especially in the legally complex area of virtual digital assets. The agency has developed protocols for identifying, freezing, and seizing crypto assets, and has executed similar actions in several ongoing investigations.
By executing cross-border cybercrime enforcement with global coordination, the CBI is reinforcing India’s reputation as a proactive digital security partner, especially in combatting frauds that exploit international vulnerabilities in internet infrastructure and tech support ecosystems.