ED launches investigation into Chinese app that ‘cheated’ job seekers | Latest News India

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched an investigation into a Chinese-controlled mobile app, Keepsharer, which allegedly defrauded youths who claimed to offer part-time jobs that involved liking and uploading videos of celebrities on social media platforms.

The ED said at least 12 companies in Bengaluru are linked to the app and have seized funds € 5.85 million.

“The investigation revealed that gullible people, mostly youth, were duped by some Chinese nationals via the mobile app with promises of giving part-time jobs. The defendant took money from the victims,” ​​the ED said in a statement.

The defendants set up companies here and recruited Indian nationals as directors, translators (Mandarin to English and vice versa), human resources managers and telephone callers, the ED said.

“They obtained documents from the victims and opened bank accounts. The accused then developed the app and started advertising via the WhatsApp and Telegram apps. The Chinese app has been linked to an investment app. They collected money from the youngsters to register in the said app,” the ED said.

The defendants collected money from people through the app in the name of the investment and the youths were tasked with liking and uploading videos of celebrities to social media.

“Young people were given the task of liking and uploading celebrity videos to social media. When the task was done, they were paid €20 per video to be credited to the keepsharer wallet,” an official said.

The ED said for some time that money was credited to the app wallet but later the app was removed from Google PlayStore and the youngsters were scammed about the investment amount as well as the remuneration to be paid which amounted to several million rupees.

The funds collected through the scam were diverted from the bank accounts of some Bengaluru-based companies and then converted to cryptocurrency and transferred to China-based crypto exchanges.

All transactions were under the phone control of Chinese nationals via WhatsApp groups.

A case of money laundering was registered at the South CEN Police Station in the city of Bengaluru and a subsequent indictment was filed in which police said that out of a total of 92 defendants, six were “of Chinese and Taiwanese origin and masterminds of the fraud”.

(With agency entries)