Mumbai: A viral video circulating on social media has revealed how scamsters operating from Cambodia set up fake offices resembling the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Mumbai Police to carry out large-scale frauds targeting Indians through so-called digital arrests.
The video, shared on X by journalist Munsif Vengattil, shows visuals from an abandoned scam centre in Cambodia, where fraudsters allegedly created realistic backdrops of Indian law enforcement agencies to intimidate and cheat victims during video calls. The setup includes banners bearing the CBI logo, Indian national flags and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar. Another room in the facility appears to be designed to look like a Mumbai Police headquarters office.
The backdrops appear highly convincing, making it easy for unsuspecting victims to believe they were interacting with genuine Indian authorities during video calls. Such setups are believed to have been used in digital arrest scams, where fraudsters pose as police or central agency officials and threaten victims with arrest unless money is transferred immediately.
Clarifying the visuals, Vengattil wrote on X, “This is not a CBI facility. Nor the office of Mumbai Police. Reuters visuals from an abandoned scam center in Cambodia shows how scamsters used fake signs, Indian flag, and even pictures of Gandhi and Ambedkar to defraud Indians from abroad in ‘digital arrests’.”
Paytm Founder Reacts To Viral Video
The video has triggered widespread concern and reactions online, highlighting the sophistication of international cyber fraud networks. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma also reacted to the clip, resharing it on X and commenting, “how crazy is this,” expressing shock over the elaborate deception used by the scammers.
Indian authorities have repeatedly warned citizens about digital arrest scams, where criminals impersonate officials from agencies such as the CBI, ED or local police, accuse victims of involvement in crimes like money laundering or drug trafficking and coerce them into transferring money to safe accounts.
