Indian Agency Arrests Key SIM Card Supplier of a Broader Cyber Fraud Network

The CBI arrested a suspected aggregator in a network that procured and distributed roughly 10,000 fraudulently issued SIM cards used to support scam call centers and various cyber-enabled frauds (fake ‘digital arrest’ extortion, fraudulent loans, investment scams). Investigators uncovered POS agents issuing SIMs with fake or improperly verified identities, ₹67 lakh in transfers linked to procurement, courier evidence indicating a structured logistics chain, and prior searches/arrests across multiple states, highlighting telecom identity abuse as a critical enabler of organized financial fraud.