Cuttack: The CID, Cyber Crime Unit of Crime Branch of Odisha arrested another accused in an Online Investment in Stocks and IPOs Fraud Case involving an amount of Rs 2.36 Crore.
The CID, Cyber Crime Unit of Crime Branch started an investigation into the online investment fraud after a 50-year-old complainant from Purighat in Cuttack reported at the Cyber Crime Police Station that a fraud involving one WhatsApp group named “C-51 ICICI Securities Official Stock.” Unknown individuals persuaded him to invest in stocks and IPOs via fake apps (https://app.fiosh.com, https://bolsip.com), initially allowing small profits to gain his trust. He was later offered a fake loan to invest in IPOs and was unable to withdraw funds due to a “Pending Review” status. He was pressured to repay a non-existent loan of Rs 1.5 crore.
Eventually, the victim realized he had been duped of Rs 2.36 crore by fraudsters using multiple WhatsApp numbers and false identities. He realized it was a scam and lodged an FIR. The case is currently under investigation by Additional SP Satya Vikash Bhuyan.
Previously, one accused Mohammed Zaki of Hyderabad was arrested. Now, the investigating team after analyzing the transaction details and working upon other digital evidences had crack down at Kolkata, West Bengal and after verifying the details in the locality, have successfully identified and arrested another accused namely Nikhil Jaiswal (23) of West Bengal.
The accused person has duped the biggest amount i.e Rs 1,41,15,000 from victim and was arrested on May 6 he had been produced before Court of CJM Alipore, 24- PRAGANA, South, then brought on transit remand to Odisha and produced today before JMFC III Cuttack as he is u/s 419/420/465/467/471/120-B/34 IPC r/w Sec. 66C/66D of the Information Technology Act.
The investigating team has seized various incriminating articles including a mobile phone, SIM Cards, Screenshots of Chats in WhatsApp, Aadhar Cards and a PAN Cards, Bank passbooks, Cheque Books, Debit Cards etc. Besides, the IO has already frozen several bank accounts of the fraudsters.
Investigation of the case is under progress.
