ED files prosecution in $20M crypto fraud case

The Agency requested and received evidence and details from relevant authorities in the United States through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty channels.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a case against Chirag Tomar and others. Tomar was arrested in the United States on charges of stealing more than $20 million using a fake or fake website impersonating the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange website.

Among the accused are Chirag Tomar, Pankaj Tomar, Kushagra Shakya, Akash Vaish, Rahul Anand, Ketan Luthra, Tomar Group of Industries Private Limited and Exahomes Realtors, the agency said on Monday (Jun 15, 2026).

Chirag Tomar was arrested by the FBI at Atlanta Airport on December 20, 2023 and later sentenced by a US court to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. The ED initially started the investigation based on media reports about his arrest.

“Investigations have revealed that Chirag Tomar, who is currently in custody in the US, was involved in a large-scale cyber fraud by impersonating the website of cryptocurrency exchange ‘Coinbase’ and stealing cryptocurrency,” the agency said.

The Agency requested and received evidence and details from relevant authorities in the United States through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty channels.

Investigations revealed that Chirag Tomar and his associates allegedly created and used fake websites resembling the genuine Coinbase platform to trick victims into obtaining their login credentials and other details. After gaining access to their Coinbase accounts, cryptocurrency holdings were transferred to wallets they controlled.

The stolen cryptocurrency was transferred to other virtual digital assets, moved through several wallets and finally transferred to Indian currency through peer-to-peer transactions. The funds were received in the bank accounts of Chirag Tomar and others and used to acquire properties, the agency said. So far, the ED has provisionally attached assets worth about ₹64.55 crore in the case.

Published – 15 June 2026 11:00 PM IST