ED attaches Rs 3.72 crore in call-centre cyber fraud case targeting elderly in UK
The ED said it provisionally attached assets worth about Rs 3.72 crore in a case where, it alleges, Indian call centres used remote access apps to defraud elderly UK residents.
Key points
- The ED's Prayagraj office said it provisionally attached assets worth about Rs 3.72 crore under the PMLA in an international cyber fraud case.
- According to the ED, the proceeds of crime linked to one accused and an associate are about Rs 7 crore; attached assets include a Kolkata plot and flat.
- These are ED allegations; readers should never install remote access apps at a stranger's request and can report fraud on 1930.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it has provisionally attached properties worth about Rs 3.72 crore in an international cyber fraud case in which, according to the agency, call centres in India targeted elderly people in the UK. The ED's Allahabad Sub-Zonal Office in Prayagraj announced it under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on 22 October 2026.
What Happened
The ED said its case is based on an FIR and chargesheet filed by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. According to the ED, the accused ran call centres through M/s Glowbird Consultancy Private Limited, Ranchi, and later M/s Jubilate Info Private Limited, Gorakhpur, where staff were trained to call UK residents, particularly elderly people, while posing as representatives of a UK internet provider and using fictitious foreign names.
The ED alleges that callers persuaded victims, on the pretext of improving their internet speed, to install remote access apps such as AnyDesk and Quick Assist, giving the callers access to their devices and banking details. According to the ED, victims were then falsely told that their connection had suffered a cyberattack and that a case had been registered with the UK fraud reporting body, after which supervisors posing as its officials allegedly induced them to transfer money. The ED says the money was moved to India, Bangladesh and Thailand through Western Union, MoneyGram and hawala channels.
The ED has put the proceeds of crime linked to one accused and an associate at about Rs 7 crore. The attached assets include a plot and a flat in Kolkata, bank balances and insurance policies.
These are allegations, not findings of guilt; the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and due process continues.
What It Means
A provisional attachment stops the assets from being sold or moved while the case continues; it must be confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority under the PMLA.
The method described by the ED, a caller claiming to fix your internet and asking you to install a screen-sharing app, is a common route to emptying bank accounts. Never install remote access software at the request of an unknown caller, and never share banking details or one-time passwords. If you have been targeted, report it at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
This report describes enforcement actions and allegations on the public record, attributed to the officials cited. An order, FIR or chargesheet is not a conviction; parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Named in this report, or spotted an error? Corrections and responses: editor@oquilia.com. We correct errors promptly and record responses from named parties.
Sources & Citations
- Enforcement Directorate press release — Enforcement Directorate