The Directorate of Enforcement, Shillong Sub-Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable properties worth Rs 1.06 crore related to the “Global Media App” fraud case. The case involves alleged large-scale cheating of investors through an online earning and investment scheme.
The Enforcement Directorate began the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, following a First Information Report filed at Madanriting Police Station in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district. The fraud is linked to the mobile application called “Global Media App.”
According to investigators, the accused individuals operated the application as a Ponzi-style investment scheme disguised as an online advertising platform. They promised users daily passive income for watching advertisement videos. Users were enticed to buy various VIP membership plans by paying significant amounts in exchange for promises of high daily returns and referral commissions.
The investigation by the Enforcement Directorate revealed that the application was extensively promoted through a Telegram channel managed using foreign mobile numbers. Funds from investors were allegedly gathered through bank transfers, Unified Payments Interface transactions, and cryptocurrency wallets. The fraudulent scheme reportedly operated between June 3, 2022, and October 12, 2022, after which the operators closed the application and absconded with the collected funds.
Officials stated that the proceeds of crime totaling nearly Rs 45.33 crore were generated through the fraudulent scheme. Multiple bank accounts, merchant identification accounts, payment gateway accounts, and crypto wallets have been identified as allegedly used for fund collection and layering.
The Enforcement Directorate disclosed that the fraud had significant international connections. The Telegram channel promoting the app was purportedly managed by four individuals using mobile numbers registered in Cambodia and Malaysia. Additionally, Gmail accounts linked to the app’s backend operations were registered with Cambodia as the terms-of-service country.
Investigators also tracked around Rs 2.45 crore collected from victims in the form of Tether cryptocurrency routed through the TRON blockchain network to accounts on a foreign cryptocurrency exchange. Further investigations are ongoing.
