Indian Extorts Money From US National; CBI’s Search Finds ₹9.3 Lakh USD Worth Cryptocurrency

The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a case against an accused individual. The allegations state that this individual, an Indian national, contacted a US citizen using the pseudonymous identity of “James Carlson” over the phone. He falsely claimed to be from the Fraud Department of a Multi-National Company and informed the victim that someone had attempted to order a computer using the victim’s account on the same company.

The fraud

Furthermore, the accused allegedly misled the victim by stating that individuals in four different states had used the victim’s Social Security Number to open accounts with the said Multi-National Company.

It is also alleged that the accused induced the victim to withdraw cash from their bank accounts and deposit it into Bitcoin at RockitCoin ATM Wallet. He shared a QR code, falsely informing the victim that it had been opened by the US Treasury for the victim’s benefit.

Additionally, the accused sent a fake letter dated 20.09.2022, purportedly issued by the Federal Trade Commission, USA, in an attempt to gain the victim’s trust. As a result of this inducement, the victim reportedly withdrew a total of USD 130,000 from their bank accounts on various dates between 30.08.2022 and 09.09.2022, depositing the funds into the Bitcoin address provided by the accused. Subsequently, the accused allegedly fraudulently misappropriated these funds, resulting in a fraud of USD 130,000 against the victim. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, USA, provided this information.

Searches find ₹9.3 Lakh USD worth cryptocurrencies

Searches were conducted at the accused’s premises in Ahmedabad, which led to the recovery and seizure of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, USDT, etc., with a total value of approximately ₹9.3 lakh US Dollars from the accused’s crypto wallets. Additionally, incriminating materials were found. During these searches, the involvement of two other individuals, both residents of Ahmedabad, also came to light. Subsequently, searches were carried out at the residences of these individuals, resulting in the recovery of mobile phones, laptops containing incriminating material, and more.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Published on: Saturday, October 21, 2023, 11:22 AM IST