6.5 lakh euros swindled: CBI busts cybercrime network targeting German nationals, one held

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) blew the lid off an international cybercrime syndicate that swindled around 6.5 lakh euros from German nationals using a clever ruse of fake tech support services to drain their digital wallets.
The agency arrested a key suspect, identified as Rahul Shaw, and is conducting raids in Delhi and other places to nab others involved. Shaw was produced at Rouse Avenue Court for remand. The CBI also dismantled an illegal call centre being run by the accused, recovering 24 hard disks containing incriminating digital evidence.
The sophisticated virtual asset-supported cybercrime network targeted German nationals since 2021. According to an agency spokesperson, the operation, code-named Chakra-IV, was executed in close coordination with German law enforcement authorities. The CBI registered a case on Feb 12 against four accused individuals, including Shaw, under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act 2000.
Probe revealed that the accused allegedly gained unauthorised access to German victims' computer systems and bank accounts, claiming their funds were at risk and manipulating them into transferring euros to cryptocurrency. The transfer was done in wallets controlled by the accused.
Extensive searches were conducted by the CBI at six locations across Delhi, Kolkata, and Siliguri between Feb 14 and 17, yielding substantial incriminating evidence.
Shaw, a key accused, was arrested from Siliguri and is being produced before the court. Raids are ongoing to identify the proceeds of crime, and investigations into the broader network and international leads are being pursued, the agency said.
The scammers, posing as representatives of reputed global firms, employed social engineering tactics to gain the trust of victims. They made calls through VOIP, claiming that the victim's computer was compromised. The scammers then leveraged remote access to the victim's computer, creating a false narrative of resolving the purported issue.