Telangana youth in CB net for duping retired doctor of Rs 1 crore in Odisha

The cyber frauds told him that the mobile phone number was used for procurement of illegal arms, MDM drugs and to threaten several people in Maharashtra.
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CUTTACK: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Thursday apprehended a cyber fraud from Telangana for allegedly duping a Berhampur-based senior citizen of Rs 1 crore through the ‘digital arrest’ scam. The accused, 33-year-old Abdul Saleem, is a resident of Yellammagutta in Nizamabad of Telangana.

Sources said complainant Ashok Kumar Behera (69 ), a retired doctor, lodged a complaint on June 7 alleging that scammers impersonating as TRAI and police officials from the Mumbai cyber crime division called him and and asked him about an unknown mobile number linked to his Aadhaar card.

The cyber frauds told him that the mobile phone number was used for procurement of illegal arms, MDM drugs and to threaten several people in Maharashtra. They further intimidated him by saying that he would face legal action and jail term for a minimum of three to seven years.

Subsequently, the fraudsters made a video call to Behera on WhatsApp, placed him under digital arrest and prohibited him from contacting anyone. They also asked him to transfer all his money to their account and assured that the entire amount would be reverted to his account after verification. Under immense mental pressure Behera transferred all his savings, amounting to Rs 1 crore, to the fraudsters’ account.

Acting on the complaint, Cyber Crime police registered a case and started investigation. From the bank account details and other documents, police identified the accused. Subsequently, a team went to Telangana and arrested Saleem.

CB sources said on verification of the accused’s passport, it was ascertained that he had been to Saudi Arabia twice in 2017 and 2024. His mobile phone, three Indian and one Saudi SIM cards, a passbook of State Bank of Hyderabad, passport, Aadhaar card, Pan card, six debit cards and a credit card were seized.

A CB officer said Saleem was produced in the local court and would be brought on transit remand to Odisha for further investigation.

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