The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five more people in connection with three digital arrest scam cases involving fraud of more than Rs 42 crore, taking the total number of arrests to eight.
The arrests were made as part of the agency’s ongoing Operation Chakra-VI, a nationwide crackdown on organised cybercrime networks. The CBI conducted searches at 89 locations across 20 states in connection with the cases.
According to the agency, the latest accused allegedly helped receive, layer and transfer the fraud proceeds through multiple bank accounts to conceal their trail.
The CBI said three of the accused also allegedly installed a malicious APK on a bank account holder’s phone. The software enabled them to intercept bank SMS alerts and secretly operate the account.
The three cases involved victims from BITS Pilani, Gujarat and Karnataka, who were allegedly kept under “digital arrest” for extended periods by fraudsters posing as police officers.
In the BITS Pilani case, a victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and lost Rs 7.67 crore. In Gujarat, another victim allegedly lost Rs 19.24 crore after being held under digital arrest for three months. The Karnataka victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for a month and defrauded of Rs 15.45 crore.
The CBI said its investigation is uncovering an organised network responsible for moving and disguising the stolen money.
