ED Attaches Rs 1.06 Crore in Meghalaya's 'Global Media App' Scam But Rs 45 Crore in Crime Proceeds Remains Largely Untraced
The Enforcement Directorate's provisional asset attachment in the Global Media App Ponzi case reveals a cross-border fraud operation that collected funds through UPI, bank transfers, and cryptocurrency before vanishing in 2022.
The Enforcement Directorate's Shillong Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable properties worth Rs 1.06 crore in connection with the "Global Media App" fraud case a Ponzi-style scheme that allegedly defrauded investors across Meghalaya through a fake online advertising platform.
According to an ED statement, the attachments were made under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following a First Information Report registered by the Madanriting Police Station in East Khasi Hills district, on a complaint alleging cheating through a mobile application called "Global Media App."
ED investigation revealed that the accused persons operated the Global Media App as a Ponzi-style investment scheme under the guise of an online advertising platform, promising daily passive income to users for watching advertisement videos.
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How the Scheme Worked
The fraud followed a structure now common in app-based investment scams. According to an ED statement, users were induced to upgrade to various VIP membership plans by paying substantial amounts, with assurances of high daily returns and referral commissions.
The scheme remained operational from June 3, 2022 to October 12, 2022, after which the perpetrators abruptly shut down the application and absconded with the collected funds. The entire active life of the scheme was just over four months.
The ED's investigation has established that proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs 45.33 crore were generated through the fraudulent scheme. The provisional attachment of Rs 1.06 crore represents roughly 2.3 percent of the total established crime proceeds underscoring how much of the money remains unrecovered.
International Footprint and Crypto Trail
The Enforcement Directorate revealed that the fraud had significant international links. The Telegram channel promoting the app was allegedly administered by four individuals using mobile numbers registered in Cambodia and Malaysia, while the Gmail accounts linked to the app's backend operations were registered with Cambodia as the terms-of-service country.
Investigators also traced nearly 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.
Multiple bank accounts, merchant identification accounts, payment gateway accounts, and crypto wallets have been identified as allegedly used for the collection and layering of funds.
The Attachment Gap
The figures in this case expose a structural challenge in India's financial fraud enforcement: by the time the ED completes investigations and attaches assets, the bulk of the money has already moved through layered channels domestic bank transfers, UPI, and cross-border cryptocurrency networks — making full recovery exceptionally difficult.
In this case, the gap between established crime proceeds (Rs 45.33 crore) and attached assets (Rs 1.06 crore) is stark. The use of Tether — a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar — routed through the TRON blockchain to foreign exchanges is a pattern increasingly documented in Southeast Asia-linked fraud operations targeting Indian investors, where digital assets provide speed, pseudonymity, and jurisdictional distance that cash cannot.
The Enforcement Directorate said further investigation is underway to identify all individuals involved and trace the remaining proceeds linked to the fraud. No arrests have been officially confirmed in connection with this case as of the time of publication.
How to Spot and Report Such Schemes
The Global Media App scheme carried several textbook warning signs: promises of guaranteed daily passive income, tiered VIP membership upgrades, referral commission structures, and promotion exclusively through messaging platforms like Telegram rather than regulated financial channels.
Investors who suspect exposure to similar schemes can report fraud to the or the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) investor helpline at 1800 266 7575.
