Op Chakra-V: Google Ads To SMS Campaigns – How CBI Unearthed Rs 1000 Crore Cyber Fraud Involving 4 Foreigners
The group layered the flow of illicit funds through 111 shell companies, routing about Rs 1,000 crore via mule accounts. Image courtesy: Representative picture via Canva
Cyber frauds seem to be emerging as the new normal by the day with people losing their hard-earned money via ways that aren’t just new but of highly unsuspicious nature. A case has now unfolded, revealing how a cyber fraud network stole around Rs 1000 crore from several Indians.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against 17 people, including four Chinese nationals, and 58 companies after uncovering a large, organised cyber fraud network operating across several Indian states. These entities are leant to have defrauded thousands through fake loan apps and investment schemes, routing over Rs 1,000 crore via 111 shell companies.
A part of CBI’s sustained action under its Operation CHAKRA-V against organised and transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes, this breakthrough came in October 2025 with the arrest of three key Indian suspects.
Investigators discovered that a single, coordinated group had built a vast digital and financial system to cheat thousands of people through fake loan apps, bogus investment schemes, Ponzi and MLM models, false part-time job offers, and fraudulent online gaming platforms.
Is there any Chinese involvement in the cyberfraud?
According to the probe agency, the foreign handlers have been identified as Chinese nationals Zou Yi, Huan Liu, Weijian Liu and Guanhua Wang. Under their instructions, shell companies were set up in India from 2020 onwards. “Their Indian associates procured identity documents from unsuspecting individuals and used them to incorporate companies and open bank accounts,” CBI said.
The case was registered based on information from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which warned that many citizens were being tricked through online investment and job schemes.
“Although the complaints first appeared unrelated, a detailed CBI analysis showed clear similarities in the apps used, money flow patterns, payment gateways, and digital traces, pointing to a single organised conspiracy,” the agency said.
‘SMS campaigns’: New tactic of cyberfraud?
The CBI stated that the criminals used a highly complex, technology-driven method involving Google ads, mass SMS campaigns, SIM-box messaging systems, cloud services, fintech platforms, and multiple mule bank accounts.
“Each stage of the operation—from luring victims to collection and movement of funds—was deliberately structured to conceal the identities of the actual controllers and evade detection by law enforcement agencies,” the agency’s statement added. During the investigation, the CBI found 111 shell companies created using fake directors, forged documents, false addresses, and misleading business details.
“These companies were used to open bank and merchant accounts with various payment gateways, allowing quick layering and diversion of stolen money. Analysis of hundreds of accounts showed that over Rs 1,000 crore passed through them, with one account alone receiving more than Rs 152 crore in a short time,” the agency said.
How many locations CBI traced
Earlier, searches were carried out at 27 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Haryana. Digital devices, documents, and financial records were seized and examined by forensic experts. Investigators found that foreign nationals controlled the operations from abroad using extensive communication links.
A UPI ID linked to two Indian suspects’ bank accounts was still active in a foreign location as late as August 2025, proving continued foreign control and real-time oversight of the fraud system from outside India. Analysis of hundreds of bank accounts revealed that more than Rs 1,000 crore was routed through these accounts, with one account alone receiving funds exceeding Rs 152 crore within a short span.
Following instructions from the foreign handlers, Indian associates collected identity documents from unsuspecting people and used them to set up companies and open bank accounts. These entities were then used to move stolen money through multiple accounts and platforms to hide the money trail and the final beneficiaries, the CBI alleged.
