BHUBANESWAR: Cyber Crime police on Sunday arrested a West Bengal native for allegedly duping a senior citizen of Rs 50.16 lakh by posing as a staff of a trading company, and luring him to invest money on the promise of receiving higher returns.
The accused was identified as Arabinda Paul, a resident of Hoogly area in West Bengal. Paul, an MBA degree holder, was apprehended from the neighbouring state and brought to Odisha on the day.
As per the complainant, Bhagirathi Mohanta (67), he had received an invitation from a WhatsApp group named ‘SMC SIT III WII’ and joined it in October 2024. The fraudsters claimed that SMC SIT was a trading company.
Lured of being provided hefty returns, Mohanta deposited the money in the accounts of the scamsters in different phases, said Cyber Crime police. However, when he realised that it was a fraud, Mohanta lodged a complaint with Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police in this regard in January last year, and a case was registered.
Investigation revealed SMC SIT was a fake company and the cyber fraudsters approached the gullible investors on social media platforms like WhatsApp.
Elaborating on their modus operandi, ACP Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police station, Suchismita Das said the accused claimed to be the staff of the fake trading company and cheated the victim.
Police have advised the citizens not to deposit the money in unknown accounts and verify about them from the banks concerned.