New Delhi [India], October 7 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs 2.85 crore in a cyber fraud case related to the defrauding of foreign nationals.

ED's Chandigarh zonal office attached the properties on September 30 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the case related to defrauding of foreign nationals by Vikramjeet Singh and others to the tune of Rs 11.50 crore.

The federal agency attached two immovable properties worth Rs 1.26 crore, purchased from the proceeds of crime, in the names of Sarita Devi and Jasbir Singh, parents of the main accused, Vikramjeet Singh, along with fixed deposits and bank balances totalling Rs 1.58 crore.ED initiated an investigation based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Haryana Police against Vikramjeet Singh and others based on a complaint filed by a US citizen.

'Investigation has revealed that Vikramjeet Singh and Anchal Mittal in connivance with others had set up a fraudulent Call Centre wherein they impersonated as employees of Bank of America,' ED said in a statement.

In this case, the agency said, they took illegal access of the computer of an US citizen and thereby committed fraud to the tune of Rs 11.54 crore.

'The ill-gotten money has been utilised for the purchase of cryptocurrency, which has been sold later on, and the sale proceeds have been laundered through various bank accounts related to relatives and other entities. It is revealed that Proceeds of Crime (POC) have been generated in cash also which was further utilised in purchasing immovable properties.'

The ED investigation revealed that POC has been routed through multiple bank accounts and utilised by the main accused, Vikramjeet Singh, in purchasing immovable properties in the names of his close family members.

'Vikramjeet has also extended loans to various individuals and made advance payments to various builders by using POC,' said the ED.

ED had earlier conducted search operations on July 29 this year at the residential premises of Vikramjeet Singh and his associates, and incriminating documents and digital devices have been seized, and balance maintained at various bank accounts of suspect persons, amounting to a total of Rs 43.58 lakh, were frozen. (ANI)