CBI, Japan Police Bust Tech Support Call Centre Scam Targeting Japanese Nationals, 6 Arrested

Moneylife Digital Team 29 May 2025

Economy & Nation

In a significant international crackdown, the central bureau of investigation (CBI) has busted a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate that was running fake tech support scams to defraud Japanese citizens. Acting under Operation Chakra V, CBI on 28 May 2025 conducted searches at 19 locations across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP), resulting in the arrest of six operatives and the dismantling of two illegal call centres.

“The scam leveraged advanced social engineering tactics and technical deception to manipulate victims into believing their devices were compromised,” the CBI says in a statement. “Under this false pretence, victims were directed to transfer funds, which were then routed through mule accounts operated by the syndicate.”

CBI’s investigation was carried out in close coordination with the National Police Agency of Japan and Microsoft Corporation, whose cooperation proved critical in tracing the syndicate’s hierarchy, identifying key operatives, and mapping the scam’s digital infrastructure.

Operation Chakra V – CBI Conducts Searches at 19 Locations; Busts Transnational Cybercrime Syndicate Targeting Japanese Citizens; 6 Operatives Arrested pic.twitter.com/yl1HrQyR0k
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) May 29, 2025

The fraudulent network was allegedly impersonating Microsoft’s technical support team, tricking unsuspecting Japanese victims into believing that their computers had been compromised. Once contact was established, the operatives coerced the victims into transferring large sums of money into mule bank accounts, under the pretext of fixing non-existent issues.

The operation was launched following the registration of a case based on credible intelligence inputs about the existence of Indian-based cybercrime groups specifically targeting foreign nationals, particularly from Japan. According to the CBI, the gang had established professional-looking call centres designed to appear as legitimate customer support facilities of multinational corporations like Microsoft.

During the searches, investigators recovered substantial digital and physical evidence, including computers, call scripts, transaction records, spoofing software, and mobile devices. Preliminary analysis confirmed that the operation was large-scale and technically advanced.

The arrested individuals are being interrogated and CBI has not ruled out the possibility of further arrests in India and abroad. Authorities believe the syndicate may have targeted hundreds of Japanese nationals over several months, siphoning off significant amounts of money.

This bust is part of CBI’s ongoing strategy to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes through multi-agency and international cooperation. Under Operation Chakra V, the agency has intensified efforts to detect and dismantle organised cyber fraud networks operating from Indian soil with global victims.

“CBI reiterates its unwavering commitment to tackling the dynamic and evolving threats posed by cybercrime,” the agency says. “Operations like Chakra V underline our resolve to bring cybercriminals to justice and protect citizens, both Indian and foreign, from online fraud and digital exploitation.”

Officials said the arrested suspects will be produced in court shortly, and the investigation is continuing to uncover the full extent of the scam’s network, including financial flows and technical enablers.

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