The ED attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs 2.85 crore in a cyber fraud case in which foreign nationals were duped of Rs 11.50 crore by a Haryana-based gang impersonating as employees of Bank of America, an official said on Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office, seized the assets on September 30 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Accused Vikramjeet Singh and others duped the victims of Rs 11.50 crore by illegally getting access to their computers, the ED said. The ED initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by the Haryana Police against Vikramjeet Singh and others after receiving a complaint from a US citizen, the official said in a statement.
Investigation revealed that Vikramjeet Singh and Anchal Mittal, in connivance with others, had set up a fraudulent Call Centre wherein they impersonated as employees of Bank of America. In this case, they took illegal access of the computer of a US citizen and thereby committed fraud to the tune of Rs 11.54 crore and used the ill-gotten money for the purchase of cryptocurrency, the ED said.
The cryptocurrency was sold later on, and the sale proceeds were laundered through various bank accounts related to relatives of the gang members and other entities, the ED said. It is revealed that Proceeds of Crime (POC) have been generated in cash also which was further utilised in purchasing immovable properties, the ED said.
The ED investigation revealed that Proceeds of Crime have been routed through multiple bank accounts and utilised by the main accused, Vikramjeet Singh, in purchasing immovable properties in the name of his close family members. Vikramjeet Singh has also extended loans to various individuals and made advance payments to various builders by using the ill-gotten money. The two immovable properties purchased out of the POC in the name of Sarita Devi and Jasbir Singh, parents of the main mastermind Vikramjeet Singh, were valued at Rs 1.26 crore, the ED said.
The agency has now attached bank accounts and fixed deposits valued at Rs 1.58 crore. The ED had earlier conducted search operations on July 29 at the residential premises of Vikramjeet Singh and his associates and seized incriminating documents/digital, the statement said.
It also froze bank accounts carrying Rs 43.58 lakh, said the statement.
