The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as part of its ongoing Operation Chakra-V, has arrested an Area Sales Manager of a telecom service provider (TSP) in an ongoing case aimed at dismantling the technical backbone of organised cybercrime.
Organised phishing network busted in December 2025
In December 2025, the CBI had uncovered and disrupted an organised phishing network operating from the NCR and Chandigarh, which was providing bulk SMS services to cybercriminals, including foreign actors targeting Indian citizens.
The accused had procured around 21,000 SIM cards in violation of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rules to facilitate the transmission of bulk SMS used by cybercriminals for sending phishing messages.
Three persons, including a channel partner of the TSP, were arrested in December 2025 and are currently under judicial custody.
Role of telecom official revealed during probe
The role of a TSP official came to light during the investigation. The official, serving as an Area Sales Manager from Delhi, was actively involved in facilitating the fraudulent issuance of SIM cards in bulk.
He allegedly arranged dummy individuals, falsely projecting them as employees of a private company, and submitted their documents to complete KYC formalities.
It was further revealed that members of a family residing in Bengaluru were among those arranged by the official and shown as employees of the accused company. Copies of Aadhaar cards of these persons were recovered from the possession of the said official.
SIM cards used for phishing operations
The SIM cards obtained through these fraudulent means were subsequently used for operating the phishing ecosystem exposed during the investigation.
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CBI warns of phishing tactics
“Phishing is the first key step in most cyber frauds to lure innocent members of the public. It uses mass SMS, calls, or messages to lure victims with false offers of loans, investments, or threats. Once victims share details or click links, they get engaged in bigger scams leading to money loss,” a CBI official said.
