NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late on Sunday night conducted a multi-state crackdown against a cybercrime syndicate by arresting 26 individuals for allegedly defrauding people across the globe, officials said on Monday.As part of its ‘Operation Chakra-III’, the CBI teams raided 32 different places across Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam late on Sunday night.“These operations have resulted in seizure of critical digital evidence and incriminating material. About 951 items have been seized, including electronic devices, mobile phones, laptops, financial information, communication records and incriminating material used by this cybercrime network to defraud victims,” a senior official said.According to the officials, four call centres — VC Inconformities Pvt Ltd at Regent Plaza, Pune; VC Infrometrix Pvt Ltd, Murli Nagar, Visakhapatnam; Viajex Solutions, Hyderabad; and Atriya Global Services Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam — were among the places raided by the CBI sleuths.The officials further said that the investigative teams intercepted 170 people engaged in live online criminal activities across the four call centers.Later, in a statement, a CBI spokesperson said, “The cybercriminals targeted as part of this operation were involved in a range of illicit activities, including impersonating as tech support services and approaching victims, especially in the USA, on the pretext that the victim’s systems have been hacked.”He went on to add that the victims “were convinced by the criminals that their identities had been stolen” and that “a large number of unauthorised transactions were being made in their bank accounts”.Vardhaman CEO duped of Rs 7 crore, 2 arrestedCyber fraudsters hailing from Assam, West Bengal and Delhi duped Padma Bhushan awardee and Vardhaman Group CEO SP Oswal of Rs 7 crore. The accused duped the 82-year-old textile industrialist by posing as CBI officers and executing a well-devised plan, even enacting a fake online Supreme Court hearing. Punjab Police have arrested two of them and recovered Rs 5.25 crore from them.
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