The CID Cyber Crime Unit of Odisha Police has arrested five individuals involved in an elaborate online trading fraud.
The case, which amounts to a staggering Rs 6,16,37,084, came to light when a complainant from Berhampur, Ganjam, was swindled by cybercriminals posing as representatives of a Japanese cryptocurrency platform, ZAIF.
The complainant was persuaded by one Sanjana Srinivasan, claiming to be an IBM software developer, to invest in digital currency trading. The fraudulent scheme convinced the victim to transfer funds from May to June 2024 under the guise of recovering losses, only to demand additional money for fund release.
Following an intense investigation led by DSP Ratnaprava Satapathy, the CID team arrested five culprits in Surat, Gujarat. The accused—Sejal Ravikumar Sabhaya, Sabhaya Ravi Kumanbhai, Sabhaya Kumanbhai, Paras Dhirubhai Jesani, and Dharmesh Nanubhai Savaliya—were brought to Odisha on transit remand. Several incriminating items, including mobile phones, bank passbooks, debit cards, and WhatsApp chat screenshots, were seized, and related accounts frozen.
The Odisha Police have issued a cautionary advisory, urging citizens to avoid unsolicited investment offers on social media and report cyber frauds via the helpline 1930 or the nearest police station.
The investigation continues to uncover additional accomplices and trans-India ramifications of the crime.
