Shillong, May 10: Enforcement Directorate has tracked the KYC numbers of the immediate end-recipients of online money laundering scam.
The action was following a case registered at Madanriting Police Station here.
Full text of the press relese below
Press Release 09-05-2026
Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Shillong Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable properties amounting to Rs.1.06 Crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with its ongoing investigation into the “Global Media App” fraud case involving large-scale cheating of investors through a fraudulent online earning and investment scheme.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Madanriting Police Station, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya Police on a complaint alleging cheating through a mobile application namely “Global Media App”.
ED investigation revealed that the accused persons operated the “Global Media App” as a Ponzi-style investment scheme under the guise of an online advertising platform promising daily passive income to users for watching advertisement videos. Users were induced to upgrade to various VIP membership plans by paying substantial amounts with assurances of high daily returns and referral commissions.
During the investigation under PMLA, 2002, it is revealed that the fraudsters extensively promoted the application through a Telegram channel administered by individuals using foreign mobile numbers, and collected funds from gullible investors through bank transfers, UPI transactions and cryptocurrency wallets. The scheme remained operational from 03.06.2022 to 12.10.2022, after which the perpetrators abruptly shut down the application and absconded with the collected funds.
ED investigation has established that Proceeds of Crime (PoC) amounting to approximately Rs.45.33 Crore were generated through the fraudulent scheme. The investigation identified multiple bank accounts, merchant IDs, payment gateway accounts and crypto wallets used for collection and layering of the proceeds of crime.
It was further revealed that funds collected through the fraudulent application were routed through various layers of bank accounts and merchant entities enrolled in Payment Gateways, which are mule in nature. Investigation also revealed the use of cryptocurrency wallets operating on the TRON blockchain network for collection and transfer of USDT tokens.
During investigation, ED conducted enquiries with various banks, payment gateways, Google, Telegram and cryptocurrency exchanges. Analysis of financial transactions and blockchain transfers led to identification of proceeds of crime presently available in various bank accounts, which have been provisionally attached under Section 5 of the PMLA, 2002.
The investigation has further established that the “Global Media App” fraud has a significant international dimension. The Telegram channel through which the application was promoted was administered by four individuals whose mobile numbers were registered in Cambodia (+855) and Malaysia (+60), and the Gmail accounts used to operate the back-end of the App were also registered with “Terms of service country: Cambodia”, indicating that the operational control of the scheme was located outside India throughout the operative period. A substantial component of the Proceeds of Crime, equivalent to approximately Rs. 2.45 Crore, was collected directly from victims in the form of USDT (Tether) tokens routed through the TRON blockchain and thereafter onward to user accounts on a foreign-domiciled cryptocurrency exchange. KYC particulars of the immediate end-recipients on the said exchange have been obtained, and the onward movement of the funds is being traced.Further investigation is under progress.
