ED busts cross-border crypto fraud network targeting US citizens, conducts multi-state raids

The Enforcement Directorate has intensified its crackdown on international cyber fraud, uncovering an India-based call centre network accused of laundering millions through cryptocurrency routes and shell firms, following intelligence shared by US authorities.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has conducted extensive search operations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi as part of an investigation into an alleged international money laundering racket linked to large-scale cyber fraud against US nationals.

According to officials, the searches were carried out by the ED’s Jalandhar Zonal Office on January 29, 2026, at nine locations connected to individuals suspected of operating a sophisticated scam network. The action was initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The probe was triggered by inputs received from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), pointing to an organised fraud syndicate operating out of India.

Fake tech support calls and crypto laundering

Investigators allege that the network ran an illegal call centre under the banner “Digicamps – The Future of Digital,” employing around three dozen people. The operation was reportedly overseen by key accused, including Jony, Daksh Sethi and Gaurav Verma, with several others managing day-to-day scam activities.

The accused are alleged to have posed as technical support executives and contacted victims in the United States, falsely claiming their devices or financial accounts were compromised. During these interactions, victims were reportedly manipulated into sharing sensitive personal and banking information.

The fraud allegedly escalated when callers impersonated officials from the US Internal Revenue Service, threatening victims with legal consequences unless immediate payments were made. Under pressure, victims were allegedly coerced into transferring funds into cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the syndicate.

Shell firms, real estate and seizures

The ED stated that the illicit proceeds were first routed through crypto wallets and then layered using shell entities, including Bliss Infra Properties LLP and Bliss Infra Ventures LLP, to obscure the money trail. A portion of the funds was allegedly diverted into real estate investments to project the proceeds as legitimate income.

During the searches, officials seized ₹34 lakh in unaccounted cash, along with laptops, mobile phones and digital storage devices believed to contain critical evidence. Investigators also recovered documents and digital records indicating high-value property acquisitions in India and overseas.

The ED said forensic analysis of the seized material is underway to trace additional beneficiaries, identify undisclosed assets and map the full international scope of the operation. The agency emphasised that cyber-enabled fraud and crypto-based money laundering pose serious risks to global financial systems and warned that strict action would follow as the investigation progresses.