Rs 1.5 crore 'boss scam' in Ahmedabad unravels network of 4,500 SIM cards linked to China and Pakistan
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested two men and revealed an international 'Cybercrime-as-a-Service' operation, urging the public to verify money requests from supposed senior officials carefully
- Aug 19, 2026,
- Updated Aug 19, 2026 12:27 PM IST
What started as a Rs 1.5 crore fraud in Ahmedabad has led investigators to a cybercrime operation with threads running to China, Pakistan and Hong Kong.
In June, an employee was tricked into transferring the money after fraudsters impersonated a senior company executive, a classic "boss scam." Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police moved quickly, recovering Rs 1.3 crore and returning it to the victim. But as the investigation continued, it became clear the fraud was not a standalone operation.
The arrests and what they revealed
Police arrested two men, Imran Ali Pyaada from West Bengal's 24 Parganas and Injamul Mujibar Molla from Kolkata. Eight electronic devices were seized, including one capable of running four SIM cards at the same time. During questioning, investigators discovered the accused had procured around 4,500 SIM cards specifically for use in cybercrime operations.
The international dimension
Deeper into the investigation, the links grew more serious. Malware developed in China and operated from Hong Kong was found to be in use by the network. A call centre connected to the operation was traced to Islamabad. Fraud proceeds were being moved through multiple countries to obscure the money trail.
The scale and reach of what had been uncovered prompted Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police to widen their probe in coordination with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
251 complaints, one network
Cross-referencing the mobile numbers linked to the accused against the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal turned up 251 separate complaints already filed against those numbers, a figure that gives some sense of how widely the network had been operating before the arrests.
Police describe what they have found as a "Cybercrime-as-a-Service" setup, a ready-made infrastructure rented out to other fraudsters operating from abroad. The network ran WhatsApp groups through which it offered services including OTP assistance, allowing overseas criminals to execute fraudulent transactions without handling each step directly.
What police are warning
Ahmedabad Police and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre have urged the public to independently verify any request for money that arrives from someone claiming to be a senior official or boss, particularly when it comes through an unfamiliar number or digital channel, before transferring any funds.
What started as a Rs 1.5 crore fraud in Ahmedabad has led investigators to a cybercrime operation with threads running to China, Pakistan and Hong Kong.
In June, an employee was tricked into transferring the money after fraudsters impersonated a senior company executive, a classic "boss scam." Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police moved quickly, recovering Rs 1.3 crore and returning it to the victim. But as the investigation continued, it became clear the fraud was not a standalone operation.
The arrests and what they revealed
Police arrested two men, Imran Ali Pyaada from West Bengal's 24 Parganas and Injamul Mujibar Molla from Kolkata. Eight electronic devices were seized, including one capable of running four SIM cards at the same time. During questioning, investigators discovered the accused had procured around 4,500 SIM cards specifically for use in cybercrime operations.
The international dimension
Deeper into the investigation, the links grew more serious. Malware developed in China and operated from Hong Kong was found to be in use by the network. A call centre connected to the operation was traced to Islamabad. Fraud proceeds were being moved through multiple countries to obscure the money trail.
The scale and reach of what had been uncovered prompted Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police to widen their probe in coordination with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
251 complaints, one network
Cross-referencing the mobile numbers linked to the accused against the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal turned up 251 separate complaints already filed against those numbers, a figure that gives some sense of how widely the network had been operating before the arrests.
Police describe what they have found as a "Cybercrime-as-a-Service" setup, a ready-made infrastructure rented out to other fraudsters operating from abroad. The network ran WhatsApp groups through which it offered services including OTP assistance, allowing overseas criminals to execute fraudulent transactions without handling each step directly.
What police are warning
Ahmedabad Police and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre have urged the public to independently verify any request for money that arrives from someone claiming to be a senior official or boss, particularly when it comes through an unfamiliar number or digital channel, before transferring any funds.