NEW DELHI: With internet usage and online financial transactions rising sharply over the past two years, cybercrime cases involving phishing emails, financial fraud, and ransomware attacks have seen a corresponding surge.
Cybercriminals are deploying increasingly sophisticated and evolving techniques to defraud unsuspecting individuals across the globe. These crimes often have cross-border implications, prompting international cooperation among law enforcement agencies, a senior CBI official said.
Identifying human error as the primary enabler of cyber fraud, the official noted, “Criminals use social engineering tactics to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information. Many individuals are unaware of common scam methods, making them easy targets. Fraudsters exploit emotions such as fear (threats of legal action), excitement (fake lottery wins), or urgency (bogus emergency fund requests).”
They frequently impersonate trusted sources, including banks, government agencies, and even close friends.
Cybercriminals are also exploiting online payment systems through fraudulent UPI requests and QR codes, card skimming, SIM swaps, and scams involving cryptocurrency and fake investment schemes.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has regularly issued advisories about ransomware threats. It noted that the dark web has become a marketplace for stolen data, hacking tools, and illegal services. Organised cybercriminal groups now engage in activities such as identity theft, data sales, and “Ransomware-as-a-Service” (RaaS).
In response to this growing threat, the government has significantly strengthened its cybercrime defence infrastructure. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has been established and integrated with law enforcement agencies nationwide. Over 50,000 Cyber Commandos have been deployed across police stations, and a dedicated portal has been launched for reporting cybercrime especially cases involving women and children ensuring rapid response by authorities.
To further this effort, the CBI has launched Operation Chakra-V, a comprehensive initiative encompassing intelligence gathering, case registration, raids, arrests, and prosecutions targeting cybercriminals.
Since the operation's launch earlier this year, the CBI has conducted searches in multiple states including Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh focusing on perpetrators of digital arrest scams.
The agency is also cracking down on so-called “kingpins” and individuals involved in the SIM card supply chain, which fuels these crimes. Officials have mapped key cybercrime hotspots beyond traditional centres like Jamtara (Jharkhand) and Nuh (Haryana), identifying new hubs in Kolkata and Purulia (West Bengal), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), and Bharatpur and Alwar (Rajasthan).
In a major recent crackdown, the CBI arrested nine individuals linked to the operation of approximately 8.5 lakh mule accounts across over 700 bank branches nationwide. These accounts were allegedly used in digital arrest scams and to launder proceeds of cyber fraud.
Based on intelligence inputs, coordinated searches were carried out at 42 locations across Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
A CBI spokesperson said, “The mule accounts were being operated by organised cybercriminal networks involved in impersonation, fraudulent advertising, investment frauds, and UPI-based scams.”
He further noted that these fraudsters often receive assistance from rogue bank officials, agents, intermediaries, and e-Mitras, who help facilitate the opening and use of mule accounts by bypassing Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations and due diligence protocols.
Earlier this month, the CBI searched 10 locations across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, arresting a man in Mumbai accused of supplying pre-activated SIM cards and mule accounts to criminal networks.
Last month, in two separate cases, the agency arrested 11 cybercriminals. In the first, six individuals were taken into custody for defrauding Japanese citizens, following raids at 19 sites across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. In the second case, raids were conducted at 42 locations across Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, resulting in the arrest of five individuals for selling unauthorised SIM cards used in cyber fraud.
Since the launch of the financial fraud reporting portal in 2021, over 10 lakh complaints have been registered, helping authorities recover nearly ₹4,000 crore. Officials at I4C credit this success to the portal's ability to enable immediate reporting and rapid intervention in cases of financial fraud.