Payment gateways and Chinese loan apps

The Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at Bengaluru premises of online payment gateways like #Razorpay, #Paytm and Cashfree Payments in connection with "illegal" instant loan apps "controlled" by Chinese persons. The culprits were generating proceeds of crime through various accounts with payment gateways. This comes, after several complaints of extortion by people who took loans through such apps.

The funding and origin for these apps have been traced to China and have also led to investigations by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, Intelligence Bureau and even R&AW. In an investigation, the apps are backed by registered fintech companies that are in turn backed by shell companies, numbering 100 in some instances seizing Rs 17 Cr in merchant IDs and bank accounts belonging to these apps.

Hundreds of companies were found operating from a single address in Delhi-NCR and residential areas of Bengaluru. The agency alleges that these entities were controlled or operated by the suspects based in China. They used forged documents of Indian nationals and made them dummy directors.

"Some of our merchants were being investigated by law enforcement about a year-and-a-half back. As part of the ongoing investigation, the authorities requested additional information to help with the investigation," a Razorpay spokesperson said.

At the same time the spokesperson of Cashfree Payments said, we have fully cooperated and shared KYC and other details. The authorities were satisfied by our due diligence process. The operations and on-boarding processes adhere to the PMLA and KYC directions, and we will continue to do so.

The entities under investigation were generating proceeds of crime through various merchant IDs/accounts held with payment gateways/banks and they are also not operating from the addresses given on the ministry of corporate affairs website/registered address, the agency said. T

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