Bhubaneswar: A sitting Odisha MLA and former information technology minister of the state has fallen victim to cyber fraud, losing Rs 1.4 crore for one-and-a-half months, according to the police.
As per the reports, seven suspects have been arrested in connection with this cybercrime case, including four from Karnataka and three from Tamil Nadu.
The complainant, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA and former IT minister Tusharkanti Behera, filed a police report in January. However, he maintained that a friend had been using his trading account and incurred the financial loss.
“My friend has been using my trading account and lost the money to cyber fraud. I have no direct knowledge regarding the fraud,” Behera told reporters.
According to Crime Branch IG Sarthak Sarangi, the accused posed as trade analysts and lured individuals into investing in initial public offerings (IPOs), shares and other trading schemes, promising lucrative returns.
Investigations by the cybercrime unit revealed that the fraudsters siphoned Rs 1.4 crore from the MLA between 13 November 2024 and 1 January this year using a mobile application.
The misappropriated funds were transferred to multiple bank accounts across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra.
As part of the ongoing probe, crime branch teams have been deployed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, resulting in the arrest of seven suspects. Further operations are planned in Hyderabad, West Bengal and Delhi to track down other individuals involved.
So far, law enforcement authorities have recovered Rs 4 lakh from the suspects and frozen Rs 15 lakh in related bank accounts. The investigation is expected to widen as more individuals linked to the scam are identified.
Crime Branch IG Sarangi also highlighted the increasing threat of cyber fraud, revealing that a university vice-chancellor and a Navy officer had recently fallen prey to similar scams.
The police have urged citizens to exercise caution while engaging in online financial transactions and trading activities.
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