#BreakingNews: CBI Cracks Down on ₹1,000 Crore Cyber Fraud Network Spanning Six States
CBI has busted a transnational cyber fraud racket involving 111 shell firms and ₹1,000 crore in illegal transactions.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against 17 individuals, including four Chinese nationals, and 58 companies in a major transnational cyber fraud case involving over Rs 1,000 crore. The network, orchestrated from abroad, defrauded thousands through deceptive online schemes, marking a significant breakthrough in combating organised digital financial crimes.
The probe, initiated on inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, revealed a sophisticated syndicate using fake loan apps, bogus investment platforms, Ponzi and multi-level marketing models, fraudulent part-time job offers, and illegal online gaming sites. Initially appearing as isolated incidents, detailed analysis uncovered shared digital footprints, payment gateways, and fund trails linking them to one coordinated operation.
Investigators found the fraudsters employed advanced tactics, including Google advertisements, bulk SMS campaigns, SIM-box messaging, cloud servers, and fintech platforms to lure victims while masking their identities. At the core were 111 shell companies set up with dummy directors, forged documents, fake addresses, and misleading business declarations, enabling the opening of mule bank accounts for laundering proceeds.
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Over Rs 1,000 crore was routed through these accounts, with one receiving more than Rs 152 crore in a short period. Forensic evidence showed direct overseas control, including a UPI ID linked to an Indian accused operating from a foreign location as recently as August 2025. The four Chinese nationals—Zou Yi, Huan Liu, Weijian Liu, and Guanhua Wang—allegedly masterminded the setup of shell entities from 2020 onwards.
Following the October arrests of three key Indian associates, CBI conducted searches at 27 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Haryana, seizing digital devices and records that confirmed foreign operational oversight. This case forms part of the CBI's ongoing Operation CHAKRA-V, a nationwide initiative targeting transnational cyber-enabled economic crimes, demonstrating continued efforts to dismantle such networks and protect India's digital economy.
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