The Sambalpur police arrested four men involved in an elaborate online investment scam that duped a family from Ainthapali of Rs 88 lakh. The victim, Ramesh Chandra Biswal (56), and his family were lured into investing through a fraudulent website that redirected them to an instant messaging group led by a conman impersonating “Rohan Shah.”
The scammers falsely claimed the platform was SEBI-registered, enticing the family to repeatedly deposit large sums. When attempts to withdraw returns failed, the family realized they had fallen victim to a scam and approached the Cyber Crime & Economic Offence Police Station in Sambalpur.
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo said, “Our technical investigation swiftly led to the identification and arrest of four individuals linked to the scam.”
The accused were named as Prasanta Meher (37) and Krushna Sahu (38) from Sambalpur, Subrat Pradhan (32) from Deogarh, and Biswajit Nayak (36) from Bhubaneswar.
During raids, police recovered Rs 2.5 lakh in cash, froze Rs 12.55 lakh across several bank accounts, and uncovered 13 mule accounts used to launder the stolen money. Additionally, 21 ATM cards, five smartphones, multiple SIM cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, and an SUV were seized.
Police have warned the public to be cautious of investment schemes on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram that promise unrealistically high returns. A public advisory has also been issued to prevent similar frauds.
