QFX Trade MLM Fraud: ED Freezes Rs170 Crore Balance from 30 Bank Accounts of Shell Companies
Moneylife Digital Team 13 February 2025
The Chandigarh zonal office of the directorate of enforcement (ED) has frozen bank balances totalling Rs170 crore across 30 accounts linked to shell companies involved in the QFX Trade Ltd's multi-level marketing (MLM) fraud. The crackdown is part of an ongoing investigation of ED into an extensive forex trading scam.
 
On 11 February 2025, ED officials conducted search operations at multiple locations, including Delhi, Noida, Rohtak, and Shamli (Uttar Pradesh), under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The action targeted the fraudulent activities of QFX Trade and its affiliates which operated an unregulated deposit scheme under the guise of forex trading.
 
 
The investigation stems from multiple first information reports (FIRs) registered by the Himachal Pradesh police against QFX. Authorities allege that the company, through its directors Rajender Sood, Vineet Kumar and Santosh Kumar, along with key conspirator Nawab Ali (also known as Lavish Chaudhary), defrauded numerous investors by promising exceptionally high returns on investments.
 
Operating under the brand names QFX Investment Plan and later YFX (Yorker FX), the scheme lured investors through websites, mobile apps and social media advertisements, guaranteeing monthly returns of 5% on investments. QFX directors and their network of commission-based agents orchestrated the fraudulent deposit scheme to exploit unsuspecting investors.
 
Following the FIRs, QFX Trade rebranded as YFX to continue duping investors under the same scheme. Investigators also uncovered additional fraudulent investment platforms linked to Nawab Ali, including BotBro, TLC Coin, and Yorker FX, marketed as forex trading applications. These platforms held promotional events in India and Dubai to attract new investors.
 
The ED's probe revealed that multiple bank accounts belonging to companies, such as NPay Box Pvt Ltd, Capter Money Solutions Pvt Ltd and Tiger Digital Services Pvt Ltd, were being used to collect funds from investors. During searches at the offices and premises of these companies' directors, investigators confirmed that these shell companies were facilitating the QFX/YFX scheme.
 
Unable to justify the source of funds, the directors faced immediate action. The ED froze over 30 bank accounts containing Rs170 crore, while additional searches on QFX/YFX agents led to the seizure of Rs90 lakh in cash from one location. The ED also confiscated incriminating documents and digital evidence during the operation.
 
The investigation into the QFX Trade scam is ongoing, with investigating agencies working to identify additional assets and potential accomplices, the ED says, while urging investors to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of forex trading platforms before committing their funds.
 
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