The Cybercrime Unit of the Odisha Crime Branch has successfully cracked two significant online investment scams, leading to the arrest of multiple accused involved in digital fraud.
In the first case, Ashish Kumar Yadav (30), a web designer from Varanasi currently residing in Noida, was arrested for duping a person of Rs 25.35 lakh. He lured the victim with the false promise of opening a dealership for OKINAWA Electric Scooters.
The fraud was conducted entirely through digital channels. After convincing the victim to transfer large sums under the pretext of dealership setup, Yadav continued to demand more money. Realizing it was a scam, the victim filed a complaint with the Cyber Police Station, CB-CID, on May 2, 2023.
During the arrest, police seized multiple digital devices including mobile phones, SIM cards, and a laptop from Yadav. The operation was led by Inspector Abantimani Nayak, who traced Yadav through transaction records and other cyber evidence.
In a separate incident, three individuals were arrested for cheating a citizen out of over Rs 1 crore through an online investment scam.
The accused were identified as:
Deepak Kumar Dash (33) – a medical representative from Khurda
Chandan Kumar Sahu (33) – a DJ vehicle owner from Balasore
Ramahari Sahu (46) – a civil engineer from Berhampur
They allegedly persuaded the victim to invest in digital currency exchanges with fake promises of high returns, IPOs, stocks, and USDT.
The complaint was lodged on June 29, 2024, and subsequent investigation led to their arrest. Devices like mobile phones, SIM cards, debit cards, and cheque books were seized during the operation.
Investigations in both cases are ongoing.
