ED attaches ₹3.72 crore assets in Kolkata fake call centre UK fraud case
Synopsis
A fake call centre network impersonating BT Openreach and UK Action Fraud officials to drain elderly British victims' bank accounts has drawn an ED attachment of ₹3.72 crore — including Kolkata property — out of a total ₹7 crore in suspected crime proceeds. The trail spans Gorakhpur, Ranchi, and money flows to Bangladesh and Thailand via Western Union, MoneyGram, and hawala.
Key Takeaways
The ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order on 23 October 2026 , attaching assets worth ₹3.72 crore under the PMLA, 2002 .
Attached assets include a flat and plot in Kolkata , bank account balances, and insurance policies.
Total proceeds of crime are quantified at ₹7 crore , generated by Anik Dutta and an associate.
Fake call centres operated as Glowbird Consultancy Pvt Ltd (Ranchi) and Jubilate Info Pvt Ltd (Gorakhpur), targeting elderly UK nationals by impersonating BT Openreach and UK Action Fraud officials.
Proceeds were laundered to Bangladesh and Thailand via Western Union , MoneyGram , and hawala channels.
The case originated from an FIR filed by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Gorakhpur ; accused include Anik Dutta , Akash Gupta , and Aditya Mishra .
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth ₹3.72 crore — including a plot and a flat in Kolkata — in connection with an international cyber fraud operation that targeted UK nationals through fake call centres run from Gorakhpur and Ranchi. The order was issued on 23 October 2026 by the ED's Allahabad Sub-Zonal Office in Prayagraj under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
What Was Attached
The Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) covers a residential flat and a plot in Kolkata, amounts held in bank accounts, and insurance policies. The attached assets aggregate to ₹3.72 crore, roughly half of the total proceeds of crime — quantified at ₹7 crore — allegedly generated by the primary accused, Anik Dutta, and an associate through this scheme.
How the Fraud Operated
According to the ED, accused persons ran fraudulent call centres under two entities: Glowbird Consultancy Private Limited in Ranchi and, subsequently, Jubilate Info Private Limited in Gorakhpur. Employees at these centres were trained to impersonate representatives of BT Openreach — the UK's dominant broadband infrastructure provider — using fictitious foreign names and targeting elderly UK nationals in particular.
Victims were persuaded to download remote-access software, specifically AnyDesk and Quick Assist, ostensibly to improve their internet speeds. Once access was gained, the accused extracted banking credentials and device details. Victims were then falsely told their internet connections had been compromised in a cyberattack and that a case had been registered with UK Action Fraud. 'Senior supervisors', posing as Action Fraud officials, pressured victims into transferring money to bank accounts controlled by the accused, the ED said.
How the Money Was Moved
Proceeds of crime were routed out of India through international money transfer services including Western Union and MoneyGram, and via hawala channels, according to the ED. Funds were reportedly moved to Bangladesh and Thailand in addition to being retained domestically — a cross-border laundering trail that complicates asset recovery.
Case Origins and Accused
The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered and a charge sheet filed by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The named accused include Anik Dutta, Akash Gupta, Aditya Mishra, and others, booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. This is the latest in a series of ED actions against India-based call centre fraud networks that have targeted foreign nationals, particularly in the UK, US, and Canada.
What Happens Next
A provisional attachment under PMLA is subject to confirmation by the Adjudicating Authority within a stipulated period. The ED is expected to continue tracing the remaining proceeds of crime — estimated at approximately ₹3.28 crore beyond what has been attached so far — including assets potentially held abroad. The investigation remains ongoing.
Point of View
Particularly the elderly. The cross-border money trail through Bangladesh and Thailand, combined with hawala routing, signals a level of operational sophistication that outpaces most state-level cyber policing. While the ED's PMLA action is a meaningful escalation, attaching roughly half the proceeds two-plus years after the FIR points to the lag between crime and asset recovery that continues to blunt deterrence. Unless international asset-tracing mechanisms with the UK, Bangladesh, and Thailand are activated swiftly, a significant portion of the ₹7 crore proceeds may remain beyond reach.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What assets has the ED attached in the fake call centre fraud case?
The ED has attached assets worth ₹3.72 crore, comprising a residential flat and a plot in Kolkata, balances in bank accounts, and insurance policies. The attachment was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, by the Allahabad Sub-Zonal Office in Prayagraj.
How did the fake call centre fraud targeting UK nationals work?
Accused persons, operating as BT Openreach representatives using fictitious names, persuaded UK nationals — often elderly — to download remote-access software like AnyDesk and Quick Assist. Once device access was obtained, victims were falsely told their connections had been hacked and were coerced into transferring money to accounts controlled by the accused, with fraudsters posing as UK Action Fraud officials.
Who are the accused in the Gorakhpur-Ranchi cyber fraud case?
The primary accused is Anik Dutta, along with Akash Gupta, Aditya Mishra, and others. They were named in an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, under various sections of the IPC, 1860.
What is the total estimated fraud amount in this case?
The total proceeds of crime have been quantified at ₹7 crore, according to the ED. Of this, ₹3.72 crore has been provisionally attached so far, with the investigation ongoing to trace the remaining assets.
How were the fraud proceeds laundered across borders?
According to the ED, the proceeds were transferred to India, Bangladesh, and Thailand through international money transfer services including Western Union and MoneyGram, as well as through hawala channels — a multi-layered laundering operation that complicates full asset recovery.
