India’s Enforcement Directorate has searched four premises in an alleged US-targeting call-centre operation in which victims were directed to buy gift cards and surrender their details for redemption. The searches took place on September 15 in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh; the agency issued its account the following day. [S01][S02]
The ED’s Hyderabad office said it found three active call centres, two in Patiala and one in Pune. Around 220 people were working there. Their identities, responsibilities and reporting lines were still being checked, rather than established as criminal roles. [S01]
According to the official release, investigators seized 66 mobile phones and 13 laptops, along with other equipment, cash and records. The Chandigarh residence allegedly served as a coordination point for the Patiala operations, and investigators were examining currency conversion and related transactions there. [S01]
Selected devices seized in the September 15 searches
The Enforcement Directorate reported two quantified device categories from the same operation.
devices
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Agency-reported seizures, not findings of guilt, gift-card payment volumes or proof that each device handled gift-card transactions.
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| Category | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Mobile phones | 66 devices |
| Laptops | 13 devices |
The gift-card mechanism is described in same-day ANI reporting that directly quotes an ED statement. The wire says prospective victims received bulk emails containing a toll-free callback number. Callers were then passed between workers who established trust and others who impersonated companies, banks or government agencies to create urgency. [S02]
A further group allegedly guided payments, collected gift-card details and arranged redemption. ANI quoted the agency as saying gift cards were converted into Bitcoin or USDT. Cash and gold were also alleged payment routes. The report does not identify gift-card issuers or quantify the value redeemed. [S02]
These allegations place gift-card credentials within a wider collection and conversion process. For the sector, the relevant exposure is the transfer of redeemable card details under impersonation pressure, alongside other payment methods. The sources do not establish wrongdoing by any gift-card issuer or exchange provider.
The official PDF confirms the searches and seizures but does not itself set out the gift-card details reported by ANI. Investigators said they were examining calling scripts, victim data, payment channels and funds flows. Neither source establishes a completed prosecution or reports an arrest total for this operation. [S01][S02]
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Daniel Brooks
Daniel Brooks covers payment networks, financial technology, payment security, gift card fraud and PCI DSS for Gift Card News.