NEW DELHI: Meta and Google, being investigated by ED for hosting advertisements on their platforms for illegal betting sites , have been given a fresh date of July 28 to appear before the probe agency, after they sought adjournment of the summons issued for Monday.
Sources said the tech companies sought more time to collect documents sought by the agency in their ongoing probe against some illegal betting sites operating in India. These betting sites have collected hundreds of crores from Indian citizens by engaging in illegal activity.
ED in a statement in Jan this year had said that scammers have been posting ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, offering betting options, part-time jobs, online shopping and jobs, among others.
Victims register through a link provided to them and pay a small initial amount, like Rs 100. The scammers then ask for more deposits, promising higher payouts. "However, when victims attempt to withdraw their earnings, they are told to complete more tasks and pay additional fees. This cycle continues until victims deposit large sums, often in lakhs, only to realise they have been scammed."
In online shopping fraud , scammers attract people with "offers of very cheap products found via Google or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Victims receive a purchase link on WhatsApp, register, and pay for the item. The fraudsters then demand additional payments, citing reasons such as customs duties and delivery charges. In the end, the victim loses their money and never receives the purchased item."
Earlier, ED had attached assets worth Rs 337 crore in a crackdown against illegal betting related to Lok Sabha results of 2024 and unauthorised broadcast of IPL cricket matches.
"The attached assets included demat account holdings, lands, flats and commercial warehouses located at Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kutch (Gujarat), Daman, Thane and Mumbai (Maharashtra) worth Rs 220 crore of the online betting app Fairplay and its promoters," the agency had said. This was in addition to assets worth Rs 117 crore attached earlier.
The funds laundered through shell companies have been siphoned off to overseas shell entities based out of Hong Kong SAR, China and Dubai. "More than 400 bank accounts of shell entities were found to be used for these purposes, which are under examination along with trailing/utilisation of funds collected from the public by Fairplay," ED had said.
Sources said the tech companies sought more time to collect documents sought by the agency in their ongoing probe against some illegal betting sites operating in India. These betting sites have collected hundreds of crores from Indian citizens by engaging in illegal activity.
ED in a statement in Jan this year had said that scammers have been posting ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, offering betting options, part-time jobs, online shopping and jobs, among others.
Victims register through a link provided to them and pay a small initial amount, like Rs 100. The scammers then ask for more deposits, promising higher payouts. "However, when victims attempt to withdraw their earnings, they are told to complete more tasks and pay additional fees. This cycle continues until victims deposit large sums, often in lakhs, only to realise they have been scammed."
In online shopping fraud , scammers attract people with "offers of very cheap products found via Google or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Victims receive a purchase link on WhatsApp, register, and pay for the item. The fraudsters then demand additional payments, citing reasons such as customs duties and delivery charges. In the end, the victim loses their money and never receives the purchased item."
Earlier, ED had attached assets worth Rs 337 crore in a crackdown against illegal betting related to Lok Sabha results of 2024 and unauthorised broadcast of IPL cricket matches.
"The attached assets included demat account holdings, lands, flats and commercial warehouses located at Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kutch (Gujarat), Daman, Thane and Mumbai (Maharashtra) worth Rs 220 crore of the online betting app Fairplay and its promoters," the agency had said. This was in addition to assets worth Rs 117 crore attached earlier.
The funds laundered through shell companies have been siphoned off to overseas shell entities based out of Hong Kong SAR, China and Dubai. "More than 400 bank accounts of shell entities were found to be used for these purposes, which are under examination along with trailing/utilisation of funds collected from the public by Fairplay," ED had said.
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