NEW DELHI, September 25: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key accused in a transnational cyber-enabled financial fraud case involving illegal call centres allegedly operating from Ahmedabad and targeting US nationals.
The CBI registered the case on September 8, 2026, against the accused and other unidentified persons after uncovering an alleged fraud syndicate that had been operating through illegal call centres in Ahmedabad since 2024.
According to the CBI, the accused allegedly impersonated officials of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), US Attorney’s Office, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other federal agencies.
The fraudsters allegedly contacted victims through VoIP communications and falsely claimed that their identities had been used to access child pornography through their computer systems.
The victims were then allegedly pressured into withdrawing money from their bank accounts and purchasing gold, which was handed over to couriers engaged by the fraud network in the United States.
The alleged operation resulted in victims being defrauded of more than US $7.21 million, according to the CBI.
Following registration of the case, the agency conducted extensive searches at locations in Ahmedabad linked to the accused. Electronic devices containing what the CBI described as incriminating digital evidence were seized during the searches.
The arrested accused allegedly played a key role in establishing and operating the illegal call centre. He was arrested on September 23, 2026.
The case highlights the increasingly transnational nature of cyber-enabled financial fraud, where operators based in India allegedly impersonate foreign government agencies and use digital communications to manipulate victims thousands of kilometres away.
The CBI said its investigation is continuing.
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