CBI Raids 89 Locations Across 20 States in Digital Arrest Scam Crackdown

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a nationwide crackdown on digital arrest scams, searching 89 locations across 20 states under Operation Chakra-VI. The operation is focused on three major cases where victims were allegedly coerced into transferring large sums of money after being falsely told they were under police custody through video calls.

The CBI has arrested three suspects so far, including Akash from Haryana, Raja Karmakar from Kolkata, and Jyoti Rani. Akash allegedly received ₹1.95 crore of the defrauded money in an account he had opened himself and moved the funds onward the same day. Raja Karmakar allegedly routed ₹1.5 crore through his firm's account, while Jyoti Rani allegedly withdrew part of the money credited to her account in cash and transferred the remainder onward.

One of the cases involves a BITS Pilani professor who was kept under a fabricated digital arrest for three months and defrauded of ₹7.67 crore. The professor received a call from a person claiming to represent India's telecom regulator, who told her that her mobile phone number was linked to a cybercrime complaint. People posing as Mumbai police, Enforcement Directorate, and CBI officials subsequently contacted her through Skype and falsely linked her to a money-laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.

The fraudsters claimed a police warrant had been issued against her and threatened her with arrest unless she cooperated. For more than three months, she was made to report her daily movements. Believing the fraudsters' claim that her money required digital verification, she withdrew ₹7.67 crore through 42 transactions and deposited it into various accounts as directed. She had also taken bank loans totalling ₹80 lakh to make the payments.

In another case, a senior woman doctor in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, was targeted using a similar modus operandi. She was kept under digital arrest for more than three months, from March 15 to June 25. The scammers posed as a telecom official, a police officer, public prosecutors, and a notary official. Using forged documents purportedly linked to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), they convinced her that she was under investigation.

The CBI said the searches followed detailed scrutiny of bank records and digital account-access trails and were aimed at tracing the movement of the proceeds of crime and identifying those who ultimately benefited. The cases underline why investigators are increasingly looking beyond the people making threatening video calls. Following the money trail and examining the accounts through which the funds move could prove crucial to disrupting the wider networks that make such fraud possible.

The Supreme Court has been keeping up pressure on the CBI to crack down on digital arrest scams, which have become a growing concern in recent months. The CBI's crackdown is a significant step towards curbing these scams and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The digital arrest scams have caused significant financial losses to the victims, with one victim losing ₹7.67 crore and another being forced to pay ₹20 crore. The scams have also caused emotional distress to the victims, who were kept under constant surveillance and threatened with arrest.

The CBI's operation is a reminder that digital arrest scams are a serious concern and that the authorities are taking steps to curb them. The public is advised to be cautious when receiving calls or messages from unknown numbers and to verify the authenticity of the caller before taking any action.

In conclusion, the CBI's crackdown on digital arrest scams is a significant step towards curbing these scams and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The operation highlights the need for the public to be cautious when receiving calls or messages from unknown numbers and to verify the authenticity of the caller before taking any action.