ED Seizes ₹187 Crore in Assets Linked to Call Center Scam Targeting US Citizens

Jalandhar, August 1: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against individuals involved in a call center scam that defrauded American citizens of millions of dollars. The agency has seized luxury properties, including farmhouses and villas, valued at ₹187.13 crore across Goa, Delhi, and Haryana.

These assets were confiscated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The operation targeted a network conducting international financial crimes through illegal call centers and online cyber fraud against foreign nationals.

The ED initiated this money laundering investigation based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was informed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States. The FIR includes various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 2023, against the accused for defrauding American citizens.

Investigations revealed that the illegal call center, named “DigiCaps – The Future of Digital,” employed 36 staff members, including Jigar Ahmed, Yash Khurana, Inderjeet Singh Bhali, and Nikhil Sharma. The operation was overseen by Joni, Dakshya Sethi, and Gaurav Verma.

The scammers posed as technical support representatives, deceiving American victims by stealing their sensitive information and threatening them with legal action from the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.

Victims were coerced into transferring their funds to cryptocurrency accounts. Money was withdrawn from foreign victims’ accounts and placed into cryptocurrency wallets. Subsequently, the illicit earnings were funneled into shell companies for personal gain, including “Bliss Infraproperties LLP,” which was used to purchase real estate.

Earlier, in January and February 2026, the ED conducted raids at 13 locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi under the PMLA, 2002.

During these raids, several digital devices were seized along with ₹34 lakh in unaccounted cash. Important records linking the accused to expensive properties and investments both in India and abroad were also recovered.

The investigation revealed that the accused, including Joni Tyagi, Dakshya Sethi, Raghav Satiha, Nikhil Verma, Gaurav Verma, and Gautam Dhingra, had invested the proceeds of their crimes into real estate in Haryana, Delhi, and Goa.