New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has dismantled a major transnational cybercrime network operating out of Noida that allegedly defrauded US nationals of USD 8.5 million through tech-support and impersonation scams.
The operation, carried out under Operation Chakra, led to the arrest of six key operatives, the seizure of Rs 1.88 crore in cash, and the recovery of 34 electronic devices, including mobile phones, laptops, hard disks, pen drives and other incriminating documents. An illegal call centre being run by the accused in Noida was also shut down.
Reacting to the crackdown, the US Embassy in India described the action as “a great example of #USIndia partnership in action”. In a post on X, the Embassy said that in coordination with the FBI, India’s CBI disrupted a transnational cybercrime network that targeted US citizens and recovered significant illicit proceeds.
According to a CBI press release dated December 12, the agency acted on inputs shared by the FBI to dismantle a sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate that had been targeting US nationals since 2022.
Between 2022 and 2025, the accused allegedly impersonated officials of US government agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Using fake identities, they threatened victims by falsely claiming that their Social Security Numbers were linked to money laundering and drug trafficking cases.
The victims were allegedly told their assets would be frozen and were coerced into transferring money to cryptocurrency wallets and foreign bank accounts controlled by the gang. Investigators believe the syndicate siphoned off around USD 8.5 million through these methods.
The CBI registered the case on December 9 and conducted coordinated searches on December 10 and 11 across multiple locations in Delhi, Noida and Kolkata. Six individuals were caught red-handed while operating the illegal call centre and were arrested during the raids.
The agency said the proceeds of crime were routed through virtual digital assets and banking channels. Further investigation is underway to trace additional proceeds and identify other members of the network, including its international linkages.