Sambalpur Cyber Police have arrested two sisters and their brother for allegedly defrauding a bank official of Rs 25 lakh using a fake Facebook identity and promising to double his money.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Rajkumari Badi (24), Jharana Badi (32), and their brother Rajesh Badi (38). Originally natives of Babupada in Jharsuguda, the trio was currently residing in a rented accommodation in Sainpali under the Ainthapali police jurisdiction. During a press conference, Sambalpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo revealed that the siblings learned various deception techniques directly from YouTube videos.
The Scam Framework and Bag-Swapping Trick
The investigation was initiated following a complaint filed in June 2026 by Lipak Kumar Pradhan, a Raurkela branch manager for Bharti AXA Life Insurance. According to police details, the fraud unfolded in stages:
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Fake Profile Outreach: The accused befriended the victim using a fake Facebook profile under the name ‘Disha Agrawal’.
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The Pitch: After building trust over chat, they claimed they possessed a specialised machine capable of doubling currency notes.
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Live Demonstration: To convince the victim, they arranged a live demo of the money-doubling procedure at a local hotel in Sambalpur.
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The Deception at Angul: Convinced by the demonstration, the victim withdrew Rs 25 lakh from a home loan and met the trio at a hotel in Anugola.
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Bag Swap: Using identical bags, the accused distracted the victim under the pretext of retrieving a forgotten USB drive and motorcycle keys, swapped the bag containing the cash, and fled the venue.
Police Action and Seizures
Following the complaint, Sambalpur Cyber Police registered Case No. 23/2026 and launched an investigation led by a Cyber DSP and Inspector. The team located and arrested the three suspects from Jharsuguda.
Police recovered Rs 15.80 lakh in cash alongside gold ornaments valued at approximately Rs 12 lakh, which had been purchased using the defrauded funds or redeemed from Muthoot Finance.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the gang had previously cheated another individual in Rourkela of Rs 10 lakh using similar methods. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody, and police plan to seek further remand for detailed interrogation.
