CBI busts Igatpuri call centre conning foreigners

Luxury cars, crores in cash and gold seized

Nashik (Team Newsbuddy): In a major crackdown on cyber crime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted an illegal call centre operating out of a rented premises at Rainforest Resort, Igatpuri, Nashik, Maharashtra. The racket was allegedly involved in large-scale financial fraud targeting citizens in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Acting on a case registered on August 8, 2025, against six Mumbai-based private individuals and unknown bank officials, CBI officials raided the premises and uncovered a sophisticated phishing operation posing as an Amazon Support Services Call Centre. The accused allegedly lured victims through deceptive calls, impersonating legitimate service providers, and siphoning money through gift cards and cryptocurrency transactions.

According to investigators, the illegal set-up had employed around 60 operators, including dialers, verifiers, and closers, to execute the scam. During the raid, 62 employees were found operating live, with the process of cheating foreign nationals actively underway.

The search led to the seizure of 44 laptops, 71 mobile phones, unaccounted cash worth ₹1.20 crore, 500 grams of gold, and seven luxury cars valued at ₹1 crore. Digital evidence linked to the fraud was also recovered. The agency detected transactions amounting to approximately 5,000 USDT cryptocurrency (₹5 lakh) and Canadian gift vouchers worth 2,000 CAD (₹1.26 lakh).

The CBI has so far arrested five accused—Vishal Yadav, Shebaz, Durgesh, Abhay Raj alias Raja, and Sameer alias Kalia alias Sohail—while further investigation is underway to trace other conspirators and financial trails.

Officials said the accused were part of a larger criminal conspiracy involving unknown individuals and possibly bank insiders. The operation reflects a growing trend of cross-border cyber fraud originating from India and targeting unsuspecting foreign victims.