The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken decisive action against three individuals accused of orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam aimed at defrauding a Canadian citizen. According to CBI reports, these individuals allegedly assumed the identities of Canadian government officials to deceive a resident of Quebec, coercing them into transferring approximately Rs 4.35 lakh (equivalent to CAD 7,006) via cryptocurrency wallets. On Tuesday, the CBI officially lodged charges against a Delhi resident, who is purported to have impersonated a representative of the Canadian government. Collaborating with associates, the accused is alleged to have manipulated victims into diverting their assets into cryptocurrency wallets and subsequently misappropriating these funds.
The CBI’s chargesheet identifies the accused individuals as Sahil Pal, Himanshu, and Ashish Bhambhani. They face an array of charges under the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and extortion. Furthermore, they are accused under provisions of the Information Technology Act.
This legal pursuit stems from a case initiated by Canadian authorities, which subsequently led the CBI to investigate the activities of this trio. The alleged mastermind, Sahil Pal, has sought default bail by approaching a special court, contending that the chargesheet was not filed within 60 days of his arrest, entitling him to relief.
The CBI’s investigation reveals that the accused individuals employed a fraudulent scheme that encompassed impersonation and cryptocurrency manipulation. Reportedly, their target was Trishan Goussard, a resident of Quebec, in September of the preceding year. Posing as Canadian government officials, the trio is said to have coerced Goussard into depositing CAD 7,006 into a cryptocurrency wallet. This action was portrayed as a measure to evade multiple fraud charges associated with his compromised social insurance number.
Unaware of the deception, Goussard complied and deposited the specified amount through a Bitcoin ATM. Subsequently, the wallet’s activity was traced back to the Binance application, originating from an IP address linked to a mobile phone number registered in the name of Ashish Bhambani.
The CBI spokesperson shed light on the modus operandi of the accused, remarking, “Their modus operandi involved providing counterfeit technical support consultations to unsuspecting victims, coercing them into transferring cryptocurrency funds. These illegitimate cryptocurrency assets were subsequently routed through various crypto wallets, eventually culminating in the possession of the perpetrators’ crypto accounts.
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