A 25-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for impersonating a sales executive of Jindal Steel Pvt. Ltd. and defrauding a Bhubaneswar-based businessman of over Rs 11 lakh.
The accused, Pradum Kumar from Chandauli district, was apprehended by the Commissionerate Police on June 9 and brought to Odisha on a transit remand.
According to police reports, the victim, Mahesh Kumar Singh, was searching for steel vendors online when he came across a toll-free number falsely linked to Jindal Steel. Posing as a sales executive, the fraudster convinced Singh to place an order for TMT steel and sent him a forged invoice carrying the company’s branding to authenticate the deal.
Singh, trusting the legitimacy of the documents, transferred Rs 1,25,300 via IMPS and Rs 10 lakh via NEFT/RTGS to a bank account under the accused’s control. Investigators confirmed that the account was registered in Pradum Kumar’s name. Upon his arrest, police seized a mobile phone allegedly used in the scam.
Authorities have warned businesses and individuals to remain cautious against such fraud schemes. They advise verifying account details before transferring money and reporting suspicious activity to cybercrime authorities.
For cyber-related assistance in Bhubaneswar, residents can contact the local helpline at 7440006709 or report incidents online at .
