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Cyber fraud and impersonation scams in India

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2026-10-02 14:44 UTC → 2026-10-12 23:57 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Cybercriminals in India continue to employ sophisticated impersonation tactics, particularly the “digital arrest” scheme, to defraud citizens. In these scams, criminals pose as law enforcement, judicial members, or officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to coerce victims into transferring large sums of money under the guise of investigations. Law enforcement agencies have intensified their crackdown on these syndicates. Under ‘Operation Chakra-6’, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two individuals, Himanshu Prasad and Yunis Biswas, in connection with an 11.42 crore rupee fraud in Gujarat. The investigation found that the suspects assisted in receiving and layering illicit funds to conceal the money trail. The CBI conducted simultaneous searches across 22 locations in 10 states as part of this ongoing effort. Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sohel Akhtar, also known as Raju, regarding a scam that extorted Rs 7 crore from a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab. In this instance, the gang impersonated CBI officials and members of the judiciary. The investigation revealed that stolen funds were routed through various corporate bank accounts using an application named ‘AMMFORWARD’ for rapid transfers. This specific case has expanded to include nine additional FIRs involving similar tactics used by the same group. In a recent development in Madhya Pradesh, Ratlam police arrested three suspects in connection with a 55 lakh rupee ‘digital arrest’ scam. The victim, a motor parts businessman, was targeted by individuals posing as Mumbai Police officers who used WhatsApp video calls with people in police uniforms and forged Supreme Court of India letterheads. The scammers falsely claimed the victim was involved in criminal activities and communications with Pakistan’s ISI. Two suspects were apprehended in Hyderabad and one in Dharwad, Karnataka, with authorities successfully freezing approximately 20 lakh rupees of the defrauded amount.

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