Daijiworld Media Network - Nashik

Nashik, Aug 10: In a major crackdown on international cybercrime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five members of a Mumbai-based cyber fraud ring operating out of a luxury resort in Nashik’s Igatpuri area. The raid, conducted at the Rainforest Resort, uncovered a fully functional illegal call centre responsible for scamming victims in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

During the operation, CBI officials seized a cache of high-value items including seven luxury cars valued at Rs 1 crore, Rs 1.2 crore in cash, 500 grams of gold, 44 laptops, and 71 mobile phones. The raid followed a cybercrime FIR registered on August 8, implicating six named individuals from Mumbai, along with unidentified associates and bank officials.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Vishal Yadav, Shehbaz, Durgesh, Abhay Raj, and Sameer, also known by aliases Kalia and Sohail. According to investigators, the accused orchestrated a sophisticated phishing and impersonation scheme, pretending to be representatives from Amazon’s support services. Their fraudulent call centre, staffed by around 60 employees acting as diallers, verifiers, and closers, was actively engaged in real-time scam calls when the raid occurred.

The CBI revealed that the fraudsters acquired illegal earnings through gift cards and cryptocurrency. So far, digital evidence has revealed transactions involving 5,000 USDT (worth approximately Rs 5 lakh) and Canadian gift cards worth Rs 1.26 lakh.

Investigators are currently analysing the digital data extracted from the confiscated electronic devices to trace the full extent of the scam and identify further victims and accomplices.

This bust highlights the growing threat of international cyber fraud networks and the use of luxury locations as fronts for sophisticated criminal operations.