Fake Kuwaiti e-visa, US-UK job racket: How CBI busted the scam in India

CBI-led Op CyStrike, with agencies from the US, UK and others, uncovered a fake Kuwaiti e-visa and overseas job scam targeting Indians

A fake online racket promising Kuwaiti e-visas and high-paying job appointments in leading companies in Kuwait, the US and the UK has been busted by India’s federal probe agency following a coordinated international crackdown on cybercrime syndicates.

 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) action came as part of “Op CyStrike”, a multinational operation carried out with agencies in the US, UK, Kuwait, Ireland and Singapore. The probe was launched after foreign law enforcement agencies flagged suspicious financial and digital activity linked to Indian-based networks, the agency said in an official release on Monday.

 

How Indians were fooled

 

Investigators found that Indian nationals were approached online with offers of expedited Kuwaiti e-visas and confirmed job appointments with reputed overseas companies. Victims were told they needed to make urgent payments to secure visas or complete recruitment formalities.

 

The communication appeared official, complete with government-style portals, email IDs and documentation, giving the operation a veneer of legitimacy.

 

What happened next

 

Acting on intelligence received from overseas counterparts, the CBI conducted coordinated searches at 35 locations across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and several other states on January 30.

 

The searches led to the seizure of electronic devices and ₹60 lakh in cash. The agency also froze multiple “mule accounts” used to move illicit funds.

 

“The gang was targeting both domestic and international people through sophisticated digital fraud,” said a senior officer.

 

The raids covered suspects operating out of Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana and West Bengal.

 

Global cybercrime links

 

One of the major breakthroughs came in Delhi, where the CBI uncovered a network that had defrauded citizens in the United States.

 

Investigators seized laptops, mobile phones and computer hard disks containing digital evidence of large-scale financial fraud. A key operative, Pfokrehrii Peter, was arrested during the raid.

 

The operation was carried out in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, and law enforcement agencies in the UK, Kuwait, Ireland and Singapore.

 

Fake visa and job racket exposed

 

In a parallel development, the agency dismantled a visa and employment fraud network operating across New Delhi, Ghaziabad and parts of Karnataka, the CBI said in the release.

 

This group used a fraudulent website, designed to mimic official Kuwaiti government portals. Through the site, Indian nationals were offered fake e-visas and job letters in exchange for large sums of money.

 

During the searches, officers recovered forged documents, digital templates and ₹60 lakh in cash. Another accused, Suraj Srivastava, was arrested.

 

Modus operandi of the syndicate

 

Investigators outlined a structured and layered fraud model used by the syndicates:

 

> Spoofed domains and fake websites were used to impersonate government portals and employers

> Pseudonymous online identities contacted victims through emails, messaging apps and calls

> Victims were pressured into making quick payments for visas or job processing

> Money was routed through multiple mule accounts to break the audit trail

> Specialised “cash-out” teams withdrew and converted funds into hard currency

 

This decentralised system allowed the main operators to stay removed from direct contact with victims while the financial trail was deliberately fragmented across regions.

 

The CBI said further investigations are underway to identify overseas links, additional beneficiaries and other victims of the network.