Odisha Police Arrest Cyber Fraudster for Defrauding Woman of ₹15 Lakhs
A man was arrested in Odisha for conning a woman out of ₹15 lakhs by posing as a government official on a matrimonial app.
Bhubaneswar, October 19 (Daily Kiran) : Bhubaneswar authorities have apprehended a cyber fraudster accused of swindling over ₹15 lakhs from a woman. The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Balabhadra Prasad Mishra, allegedly posed as a high-ranking official from the Chhattisgarh government on a matrimonial app.
According to police reports, Mishra, a resident of the Matiasahi area in Angul district, contacted the victim, a nurse, through the Bharat Matrimony app. He built a close relationship with her while maintaining his false identity.
Police Superintendent Pratik Singh stated that the victim filed a complaint on October 13, leading to an investigation by the Cyber Crime and Economic Offences police station in Puri. The fraudster convinced the woman to pay money under the pretense of helping her sister find a job. When she began to suspect him, he allegedly threatened to transfer her to a remote area.
Mishra pressured the victim into opening bank accounts at the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank. Subsequently, loans totaling over ₹13 lakhs were approved in her name, which he withdrew for personal use. After discovering the fraud, the woman contacted the police to report the incident.
Investigations revealed that Mishra used the stolen funds to purchase a Toyota car and maintained a lavish lifestyle, staying in expensive hotels and traveling by air. Authorities seized 14 bank passbooks, 9 checkbooks, 17 debit and credit cards, 6 mobile phones, and ₹10,000 in cash from him.
Police also uncovered that Mishra had previous cases of fraud and cheating registered against him in various areas, including Sambalpur and Lingaraj. Further inquiries indicated that 12 of his bank accounts across different states have been frozen, suggesting he may have been operating an interstate cyber fraud ring.
The police plan to coordinate with other states to determine the full extent of Mishra’s activities and identify any additional victims.
