Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police’s Cyber Command unit has arrested four people for their alleged involvement in a cybercrime network operating from two locations in Bengaluru, with suspected links to digital arrest scams, sextortion and other forms of financial fraud.
In a statement on Thursday, the police said the network operated from two apartments in Whitefield, with a combined capacity of 320 SIM connections.
The investigation began after Bharti Airtel Limited’s Chief Circle Nodal Officer in Bengaluru filed a complaint alleging the unauthorised use of Airtel SIM cards in a SIM box setup in Whitefield. A case was registered on August 26, and a probe was launched soon after.
The Cyber Command said in Kadugodi, it seized six SIM box devices with 192 SIM slots configured with e-SIM connections of various telecom service providers. At the second location, in Pattandur Agrahara, it seized four SIM box devices with a total of 128 SIM slots.
“The devices recovered from both locations are suspected to have formed part of an organised telecommunications setup used to facilitate fraudulent communications and related cybercrime activities,” the cyber wing said.
SIM boxes house multiple SIM cards and route calls or messages through telecom networks. They are used by cybercriminals to mask the origin of communications, facilitate fraudulent calls and messages, and support large-scale cybercrime operations.
All four arrested are residents of Maharashtra. The seized devices and other articles are being examined to establish their precise operational roles and links to the suspected offenders. Police are also pursuing leads in Tiroda, Maharashtra.
Preliminary leads suggest that the wider network could involve financial exposure running into hundreds of crores of rupees, the Cyber Command said. However, the number of victims, the actual financial losses and the network’s full extent remain unclear.
India has seen a sharp rise in cybercrime cases, including phishing, social engineering, investment and romance fraud, technical support scams, job scams, sextortion, online harassment and ransomware threats.
According to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, more than 65.89 lakh complaints involving financial fraud, with a combined value exceeding Rs 55,050 crore, were reported between 2021 and 2025.
Of this, more than Rs 8,189 crore was marked as lien, meaning the funds had been flagged or placed on hold in bank accounts to prevent their withdrawal or transfer. More than 1,95,760 FIRs were registered in connection with the complaints.
Separately, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) reported that, as of 30 June 2026, more than Rs 11,158 crore had been saved after taking action on over 32.8 lakh complaints.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)