Sambalpur: The Sambalpur Police have arrested four people in connection with a sophisticated cyber fraud case, where a resident of Ainthapali in Sambalpur and his family were duped out of Rs 88,00,000. The accused have been identified as Prasanta Meher, Krushna Sahu, Subrat Pradhan, and Biswalit Nayak.
According to the complaint, Ramesh Chandra Biswal (victim) came across a fake website while researching stock market advice, which redirected him to a WhatsApp group named ‘Shah Investment Team’ operated by an individual identifying himself as Rohan Shah. The complainant was convinced to invest in stocks through a platform named ‘Calvert Demat’, falsely portrayed as SEBI-registered.
The police investigation revealed that the accused used fake websites, WhatsApp groups, and fake investment accounts to defraud the victims. During the course of the investigation, the police seized 21 ATM debit cards, nine smartphones, three bank passbooks, four bank cheque books, and a Maruti Suzuki WagonR car.
The police have also frozen Rs 12,55,545 in bank accounts and recovered Rs 2,50,000 in cash. Additionally, Rs 7,52,121 has been held in NCRP.
The Sambalpur Police urge the public to exercise extreme caution while dealing with online investment offers. They advise people not to trust unknown individuals or groups offering investment schemes, especially in foreign stocks or crypto-currencies, and to always verify the credentials of financial platforms through official SEBI or RBI portals.
The police are further investigating the involvement of others in the network, and more arrests are likely.
