CBI arrests cybercriminal based on FBI information; 57 gold bars and Rs 1.6 million seized in searches

New Delhi: The CBI has arrested a suspected cybercriminal from Mumbai who defrauded a US citizen of $450,000 by posing as a tech support person, officials said on Saturday.

The operation, carried out by the CBI as part of its ongoing Operation Chakra-3 in coordination with the US FBI, is dismantling a sophisticated virtual asset and gold bullion-backed cybercrime network that has been targeting victims overseas since 2022, it said.

In searches conducted at seven locations over the past two days, the CBI seized 57 gold bars of 100 grams each, cash amounting to Rs 1.6 crore, a mobile phone, a laptop used to manage cryptocurrency, locker details and other incriminating documents from the premises of Mumbai-based cybercriminal named Vishnu Rathi, the officials said.

The agency said it had found material showing that this transnational cybersecurity-based financial crime network was channeling proceeds of crime through virtual assets and gold bars.

The CBI had initiated proceedings against Rathi and others on September 9. The accused are accused of planning an attack on a US citizen between June and August 2022 and thereby gaining unauthorized remote access to the victim’s computer and bank account.

“It was also alleged that under the pretense of providing technical support services, they falsely informed the victim living in the US that her bank account had been compromised. Claiming that the funds were at risk, they allegedly manipulated the victim into transferring USD 453,953 to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by them,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

The CBI is coordinating with the FBI and law enforcement agencies in several countries through Interpol to follow up on leads, he said.

“Operation CHAKRA-III was launched by the CBI to combat and dismantle organised cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement response leveraging Interpol channels,” the spokesperson said.