Guwahati: In a major discovery, the Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached assets worth ₹21.71 crore related to the accused Chirag Tomar. The accused is reportedly involved in a large-scale cyber fraud related to the spoofing of a cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase. The attachment, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, forms part of the ongoing crackdown on digital financial crimes.
As per the reports, the attached properties include nine immovable assets located in Delhi, registered in the names of Tomar, his family members, and close associates, namely Rahul Anand, Akash Vaish, and Piyush Prashar.
On further probe into the matter, the ED had revealed that the accused operated a sophisticated cyber network that targeted unsuspecting investors through fake websites and phishing links resembling legitimate cryptocurrency platforms.
According to the officials, the investigation has further uncovered that the scam had swindled nearly $20 million (₹166 crore) from victims around the world. The funds collected through these fraudulent means were reportedly laundered via crypto wallets and layered bank transfers. These are eventually being invested in high-value real estate and luxury assets across India.
The ED's move is in response to an FIR registered by cybercrime authorities, based on which the gang was found to be involved in several cases related to online impersonation, identity theft, and crypto wallet hacking. Officials clarified that further tracing of fund flow and digital transactions has been undertaken to find remaining assets and foreign linkages.
Subsequently, the authorities warned the investors to be wary when trading on digital platforms and have told them against phishing scams and phony exchange websites.
The ED said that the operation was a key step toward greater transparency and accountability in India's emerging digital finance ecosystem, while reiterating its commitment to checking financial crimes in crypto.