Key facts
- CBI searched over 80 locations across India in a single operation
- Fraud network used a fake Supreme Court of India website
- Scam type: 'digital arrest' — victims coerced into paying to avoid fake legal action
The Central Bureau of Investigation launched simultaneous searches at over 80 locations across India on Thursday, targeting organised networks behind the so-called 'digital arrest' scam — one of the most damaging and widespread cyber-fraud schemes to have hit Indian citizens in recent years.
The raids, reported by both The New Indian Express and The Hindu, revealed that fraudsters had set up a fake website impersonating the Supreme Court of India to lend credibility to their operations. Victims — typically ordinary citizens — were contacted by scammers posing as law enforcement or judicial officials, told they faced serious legal cases, and coerced into paying large sums to avoid fake 'arrest'.
The scale of Thursday's operation signals a significant escalation in the government's response to digital fraud. With searches spread across dozens of locations, investigators appear to be targeting both the operational foot soldiers of the scam networks and their organisers. The use of a Supreme Court-branded fake website represents a particularly audacious element of the fraud, designed to maximise victim panic and compliance.
Digital arrest scams have caused enormous financial and psychological harm to victims across India, with many losing their life savings. Law enforcement agencies have faced repeated calls to act more aggressively against these networks, and Thursday's CBI action represents the most coordinated crackdown to date. Investigators are expected to make arrests and file charges as the operation proceeds.