Maharashtra’s Cyber Department has uncovered an international network with links to Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia in connection with a Rs 58 crore “digital arrest” scam targeting a Mumbai-based businessman, officials said on Tuesday.
In what investigators described as one of India’s biggest such frauds, cybercriminals posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials allegedly extorted Rs 58 crore between August 19 and October 8.
The operation ran through cryptocurrency channels, with the stolen funds routed overseas via multiple crypto wallets, according to the cyber department. “The cyber department has found an international network with links extending to Hong Kong, China and Indonesia,” an official said, adding that the suspects used a web of commission-based bank accounts to move money.
The fraud came to light when the victim filed a complaint stating that he had received a call from someone impersonating a CBI officer.
The caller coerced him into joining a video call for what was presented as an “official inquiry” and, over several hours, drained funds from his bank accounts.
Authorities have launched a wider probe into the cross-border financial trail and are working with international agencies to trace the crypto transactions.
During the investigation, the cyber police found it was not an isolated case, but part of a large international syndicate that has been targeting Indian citizens for more than a year, the official said.
Officials estimate that scams of this nature may have collectively generated more than Rs 2,000 crore, exploiting victims across India through "digital arrest" tactics and cryptocurrency manipulation, he added.
'Digital arrest' is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or personnel of government agencies and intimidate victims through audio/video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money.
Maharashtra Cyber is a nodal agency for cybersecurity and cyber investigation for the state.