Digital Arrest Scams: CBI Raids 80+ Locations Nationwide in Major Crackdown

By Mahima Katal

New Delhi, June 26: 60 special teams, 16 states, two arrests — and a fake Supreme Court website that fooled victims.

In one of its most sweeping anti-cybercrime operations to date, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted coordinated searches at over 80 locations across 16 states as part of Operation Chakra-VI, targeting the criminal networks behind India's growing digital arrest scam menace. Two persons have been arrested so far — one each from Chennai and Kolkata.

What Is a Digital Arrest Scam?

Before unpacking the operation, it helps to understand the fraud itself. Digital arrest is a cyber scam in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies — CBI, ED, Narcotics Bureau, even the Supreme Court — to extort money from unsuspecting victims.

The playbook is simple but devastatingly effective: a victim receives a call from what appears to be an official number, is told they are linked to a criminal case, and threatened with immediate arrest or freezing of bank accounts unless they pay a "fine" or "security deposit."

Using spoofed numbers, deepfakes, and forged documents, the scammers manufacture enough fear to pressure victims — often senior citizens — into transferring large sums.

The scale is staggering. The Union government has reported that fraudsters siphoned off approximately ₹3,000 crore, largely from elderly victims. India's cybercrime coordination body, I4C, has blocked over 59,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to digital arrest networks as of 2024.

Operation Chakra-VI: What Happened

The CBI constituted 60 special teams that fanned out simultaneously across Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Manipur, Karnataka and Odisha — a 16-state sweep that signals the geographic reach of these criminal networks.

The searches are part of an ongoing investigation into over 200 cases of digital arrest fraud. At the centre of the operation: dismantling networks of shell companies and mule bank accounts used to launder proceeds of crime.

The two arrested individuals are accused of incorporating shell companies and operating mule bank accounts through which approximately ₹2 crore in suspected crime proceeds were laundered.

The Fake Supreme Court Website

Perhaps the most audacious discovery of the operation: the CBI unearthed a fraudulent website with a URL deceptively similar to the official website of the Supreme Court of India. Fraudsters allegedly used this domain to lend official credibility to their digital arrest threats — showing victims what appeared to be court orders and legal notices.

The Supreme Court's own Registry filed a complaint, on the basis of which the CBI registered an FIR and launched a formal investigation. The agency has since found that the perpetrators uploaded forged documents — including fabricated court orders and fake notices from law enforcement agencies — to make their scams appear legitimate.

Forensic examination of seized materials — digital devices, mobile phones, bank transaction records, and incriminating documents — is currently underway.

An International Dimension

The investigation has revealed that the criminal network extends beyond India's borders. Evidence suggests that nationals of several other countries may also have been defrauded by the same network. The CBI has alerted law enforcement agencies in the relevant jurisdictions through appropriate international channels, and is working with INTERPOL to identify offshore cybercrime nodes.

The Supreme Court Had Already Signalled Urgency

The CBI's operation comes in the backdrop of clear directions from the Supreme Court of India, which had earlier taken strong cognisance of the digital arrest menace and issued a set of comprehensive directions:

• CBI jurisdiction expanded: The SC authorised CBI to investigate digital arrest cases first, followed by fraudulent investment and part-time job scams, directing all states to grant consent under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.

• AI for financial tracking: The SC issued notice to the Reserve Bank of India to explore machine learning and AI tools for detecting money "layering" across multiple bank accounts — a technique routinely used to obscure the trail of laundered funds.

• Platform accountability: Digital platforms were ordered to cooperate under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and share data with investigators.

• Cybercrime infrastructure: States and UTs were directed to operationalise regional cybercrime coordination centres and integrate them with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C).

• SIM card reforms: The Telecom Department was asked to propose stricter SIM issuance norms and tighter KYC verification — a critical step, given that spoofed SIMs are the entry point for most digital arrest calls.

India's Existing Arsenal Against Cybercrime

Beyond the SC directions and CBI operations, India has built a layered institutional response:

• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): The MHA-run nerve centre for national cybercrime response, intelligence sharing, and capacity building.

• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: Citizens can report cybercrimes online; cases are routed to respective state police.

• Helpline 1930: For immediate reporting of financial cyber fraud.

• Anti-Spoofing Measures: DoT and telecom operators now actively identify and block international spoofed calls disguised as Indian numbers.

• CyberDost: Government awareness campaign spread through social media, SMS alerts, and displays at airports and railway stations.

The Road Ahead

Operation Chakra-VI signals a shift from reactive policing to proactive, coordinated dismantling of cybercrime infrastructure. But the challenge remains formidable. Scammers constantly upgrade their tools — AI-generated documents, deepfake video calls, encrypted communication apps — and operate across jurisdictions that complicate swift legal action.

With the Supreme Court's mandate, CBI's operational muscle, and growing institutional coordination, India is tightening the net. But experts caution that public awareness remains the first and most critical line of defence. No law enforcement operation can fully substitute for a citizen who knows that no legitimate agency — CBI, ED, or court — conducts arrests over a video call.