7 months ago
ED Charges Winzo in ₹3,522 Crore Fraud Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bengaluru has accused the online gaming company Winzo and its directors of cheating and money laundering.
They say Winzo tricked users, especially from smaller cities, by making them lose money through fake games and bots.
The company is also accused of not returning users' winnings and moving illegal money abroad.
The ED has frozen assets worth ₹690 crore and estimates that the total fraud amounts to ₹3,522.05 crore.
The investigation is still ongoing.
The ED filed a complaint against Winzo and its directors for alleged money laundering and cheating under the PMLA.
Winzo's gaming platform is accused of manipulating games with bots and AI to make users lose money.
The company allegedly lured users with small bonuses before making them lose larger amounts.
The ED estimates that users lost ₹734 crore, and the total fraud amounts to ₹3,522.05 crore.
Winzo is also accused of not returning ₹47.66 crore in user winnings and diverting funds abroad.
- Who
- Winzo Pvt. Ltd. and its directors Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore
- What
- Alleged money laundering and cheating through a real money gaming platform
- Where
- Bengaluru, with operations in the USA and Singapore
- When
- Prosecution complaint filed on January 23, 2026; investigation period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26
- Why
- Allegations of game manipulation, user exploitation, and money laundering
Key facts
- Companies Involved
- Winzo Pvt. Ltd., Winzo US Inc., Winzo SG Pte. Ltd., ZO Pvt. Ltd.
- Accused Individuals
- Paavan Nanda, Saumya Singh Rathore
- Alleged Fraud Amount
- ₹3,522.05 crore
- User Losses
- ₹734 crore
- Unreturned Winnings
- ₹47.66 crore
- Assets Frozen
- ₹690 crore
- Funds Transferred Abroad
- USD 55 million
- Funds Diverted Domestically
- ₹230 crore
Timeline
ED probes MP, MLAs' money laundering, uncovers WinZO's alleged illegal activities.
ED's Ponzi scheme investigation also exposes WinZO's alleged wrongdoings.
ED discovers WinZO's alleged bot use, non-refund of user money.
ED's findings lead to latest accusation against WinZO.
ED accuses WinZO, directors of cheating users out of ₹3,522 crore, money laundering.
Quotes
Enforcement Directorate
Indian financial crime investigation agency
“For providing these RMG (real money gaming) services, the company charged a percentage of the betting amounts from the users, as commission. The company also assured its users that its gaming platform was free from any BOTs (bots which are computer-controlled characters), was transparent and secure.”
rediff.com
“Evidence found from the seized electronic devices also revealed that this manipulative gaming structure of Winzo caused severe financial distress to users (especially those from a poor financial background), and some users reportedly experienced extreme mental distress and also suicidal tendencies.”
rediff.com
Sources
Probe Agency ED Files Complaint Against Winzo, Alleges Rs 3,522 Crore Scam
ED Chargesheets WinZO, Says Users Lost Rs 734 Crore Due To Bot, AI Manipulation
ED chargesheets online gaming app WinZO over Rs 734 cr scam
ED files charge sheet against game platform Winzo over cheating, money laundering
ED files chargesheet against Winzo, alleges Rs 3,522 crore siphoned off in four years
ED chargesheets online gaming app WinZO, alleges players duped of Rs 734 cr using bots
ED chargesheets online gaming app WinZO, alleges players duped of ₹734 cr using bots
