The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced the dismantling of a cyber fraud racket involving SIM Box technology in Uttar Pradesh. Two individuals, Mohd Vilal and Mohd Dilshad, were captured in Meerut for allegedly supporting cyber-enabled financial frauds through telecom infrastructure. The fraud scheme exploited bulk SIM cards via SIM Box technology to route international or internet-based calls as local calls, concealing identities to perpetrate large-scale fraud.
The investigation unveiled the establishment of a private company in January 2025, which acquired 108 SIM cards under the guise of employee usage. However, these cards were flagged on the National Cyber Reporting Portal and Chakshu portal for suspected involvement in fraudulent activities. Complaints revealed that the SIM card numbers were used to impersonate law enforcement and government officials, coercing victims into transferring money as part of organized cyber fraud operations.
Following detailed technical analysis and coordinated field operations, the CBI conducted searches at six locations in Meerut and Noida. The raids targeted premises associated with the company’s directors, individuals setting up SIM Box infrastructure, a telecom service provider’s zonal office, and a private firm employee responsible for bulk SIM verification. Electronic devices, incriminating documents, and multiple SIM cards, including one from Nepal, were seized during the searches.
Initial findings indicate that the arrested individuals, as company directors, orchestrated the procurement of bulk SIM cards solely for illegal SIM Box operations in cyber fraud networks. The CBI continues its investigation to identify other network members, track financial flows, and determine the full extent of the fraud.
