In a significant breakthrough, the Commissionerate Police in Odisha arrested four individuals involved in a large-scale cyber fraud operation. The accused were luring victims into investing in a fake online gaming platform, WINBUZZ365, promising high returns. The arrested were identified as Vaibhav Khanna (29), Kamaljeet Singh (39), Tejas Kumar Mahendra Bhai Patel (26), and Gugulavath Mahipal (32).
According to police officials, the mastermind behind the scam was Gugulavath, a B-Tech dropout. The other suspects, Khanna, Singh, and Patel, had limited education, ranging from 8th to 11th-grade schooling. The fraudsters were operating from different locations using various electronic devices, primarily targeting users via WhatsApp and Telegram groups.
The cyber criminals would send links to victims, inviting them to join the fake gaming platform with a nominal registration fee of Rs. 100. Once the victims joined, they were coaxed into depositing larger amounts, lured by promises of big returns from gaming investments. Victims were asked to make payments using UPI via QR codes. However, once the payments were made, the accused would block the victims’ accounts, keeping the funds for themselves.
The group used these deceptive methods for approximately six months, earning Rs. 30,000 to 40,000 per month by scamming users. They created the fake platform impersonating a Chinese gaming website, making it appear legitimate to the victims.
During the police raid in the Sundarpada area of Bhubaneswar, various digital gadgets and electronic devices were seized from the accused. The police have filed a case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The arrested men will face charges related to online fraud, and investigations are ongoing to identify other potential victims and accomplices involved in this scam.
