Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Crime Branch has busted a cyber fraud racket that used fake second-hand car advertisements on Facebook Marketplace to dupe prospective buyers and arrested one person in connection with the case, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Shubhendra Rout, who runs a travel agency in Bhubaneswar. He was arrested from the state capital during the investigation into the cyber fraud case, they said.
The case came to light after a complainant spotted an advertisement for a second-hand car on Facebook Marketplace and contacted the person who had posted it, according to the Crime Branch.
The accused allegedly posed as a car agent and persuaded the complainant to make online payments towards the purchase. After the entire amount was transferred, however, the vehicle was neither delivered nor was the money refunded, the investigators said.
Following the complaint, the Crime Branch initiated an investigation and detected links to an organised cyber fraud network.
During the probe, investigators found that Rs 3.80 lakh had been transferred to a bank account allegedly linked to Rout in connection with the fraud, officials said.
The investigation further revealed the involvement of at least four other persons, who are currently absconding. The racket is suspected to have an interstate network, with its fraudulent activities allegedly extending beyond Odisha.
The Crime Branch is now working to identify and apprehend the other members of the network and trace the money allegedly collected from other victims.
Further investigation is underway.
