Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated the process of sending a request under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to the Canadian government to record the statements of over 20 foreign nationals allegedly defrauded by an illegal call centre operating out of Igatpuri, in Nashik district, officials confirmed.
Sources in the CBI said the request is critical to establishing the exact modus operandi, confirming each victim’s loss, and tracing the Bitcoin flow across borders. Officials are also probing whether the laundered cryptocurrency was eventually brought back to India through hawala channels. Investigators suspect that mule accounts, intermediaries in multiple Indian banks, and cryptocurrency exchanges were all exploited to funnel these illegally obtained funds back into domestic circuits without leaving a trail.
All identified 20 victims are Canadian citizens who were allegedly targeted through coordinated social-engineering traps, inducing them to transfer funds that were immediately converted into Bitcoins and routed through multiple cryptocurrency wallets. Since the victims are abroad, the CBI said their statements could not be recorded in India. ``The MLAT route will help authenticate complaints and trace the cryptocurrency fund flows,” a senior CBI official said.
During searches at the Igatpuri call centre, investigators recovered QR codes from laptops and mobile phones used by the arrested accused.These QR codes were allegedly sent to victims, directing them to deposit cash into Bitcoin wallets by scanning the codes at nearby Bitcoin ATM machines. In several instances, the victims were guided step-by-step over the phone while making the crypto payments.
The investigation revealed that absconding accused Sandeep Singh and arrested Vishal Yadav, identified as the main masterminds, had parked allegedly extorted funds in Mumbai and other locations through mule accounts, cryptocurrency, and cash. Officials indicated that several unidentified public servants across various public and private sector banks in India may have facilitated the opening and operation of mule accounts to launder the proceeds.
Sources close to the probe told FPJ that some senior Maharashtra police officials, now under the agency’s radar, are suspected of attempting to conceal the proceeds of the crime and erase money trails. However, investigators said they have already traced multiple financial links that could potentially implicate those involved.
The CBI has also approached major cryptocurrency platforms, including Binance, Bybit, Coinbase, and KuCoin, seeking KYC details of wallet holders linked to 19 transaction hash IDs on Bybit, 44 on Coinbase, 4 on KuCoin, and 6 on Binance.The agency is seeking information, including wallet holders’ names, emails, contact numbers, transaction history, source of funds, and IP logs. Officials said this data is critical to tracing unknown receivers of the proceeds of crime in India and identifying associated bank accounts.
Investigators said the Igatpuri call centre ran a highly organized impersonation scam. Callers posed as Amazon customer care executives, bank officers, and Canadian government officials. Victims were told an unauthorized order for an iPhone or iPad had been placed through their Amazon accounts. Believing the alert to be genuine, the victims dialled the number mentioned in the message, which routed their calls directly to the Igatpuri call centre through the Vicidialer system.
The scam operated through a well-defined hierarchy. Dialers initially contacted victims, informing them of a supposed prepaid order and simulating bank consultations before transferring the call to verifiers. These verifiers collected sensitive financial information while warning victims that their bank accounts had been compromised and their identities were at risk of misuse.Once victims panicked, the call was transferred to a “closer,” who impersonated a senior official from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Department. The closer told victims that their bank funds were at immediate risk of being stolen and instructed them to withdraw cash and deposit it into cryptocurrency wallets. Victims were guided through Bitcoin ATM procedures, entering personal details and scanning QR codes purportedly giving them sole access to the wallets.
After completing the deposit, victims received e-receipts confirming the transfer.Callers then disconnected or kept them on hold until the end of the day. By then, the funds had already been moved beyond reach.
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