The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a corruption racket linked to a cryptocurrency scam, in which a gang of three individuals swindled senior citizens in the US and Canada, amassing Bitcoins worth ₹260 crore. The agency arrested the three individuals on Friday, and a charge sheet has been filed.
As per the ‘NDTV’ report, In a statement, the federal agency said the accused – Tushar Kharbanda, Gaurav Malik and Ankit Jain – mostly posed as representatives from foreign law enforcement agencies, Amazon support, Microsoft tech support and other services, and targeted senior citizens from the US and Canada.
It is reported that they collected 316 Bitcoins in their Bitcoin wallets, which were converted and withdrawn by their gang members in Dubai. Statement states that the prime accused, Kharbanda ran the criminal syndicate with his associates through fake call centres in Delhi and Noida.
What Exactly Happened?
Kharbanda posed as an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and convinced a victim that his identity was being misused for fraudulent purposes.
The CBI said the action was initiated on the basis of information provided by the RCMP through the National Central Bureau, a country’s focal point for all Interpol activities.
According to NDTV reports, the statement reads: “Under duress, the victim was forced to transfer over 93,000 Canadian Dollars into cryptocurrency via Bitcoin ATMs in Canada, all of which were linked to Kharbanda and his associate’s cryptocurrency wallets.”
Jain played a key role in managing the crypto wallets and assisting Kharbanda in converting the Bitcoins. He was an expert in cryptocurrency conversion.
CBI Conducted A Series Of Raids
The CBI raided both the residential and official premises of all the accused in the case. Various digital devices seized during the raids revealed information about several fraudulent schemes orchestrated by the accused, including impersonating US Social Security Administration officers and engaging in fraudulent interactions with fraud prevention departments. The devices also contained details about the modus operandi used to deceive the victims, along with their personal credentials. CBI has registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act.
