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A gang running a currency scam was busted on Sunday by the Special Squad of the Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar. Five persons, including a woman, were arrested by the police in this connection.
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According to sources, the tricksters were allegedly cheating people by luring them with the promise of doubling their money (with allegedly fake currency).
The gang targeted victims primarily in Bharatpur and Nayapalli localities of the Capital City. Their trick was simple but effective: they claimed that by giving a single Rs 500 note, one could receive Rs 1,000 in return (ten notes of Rs 100 denomination)—an offer too tempting for some to resist. The notes they promise to return are allegedly fake ones.
To make the scam look authentic, the gang kept a bag stuffed with real currency bundles on top and bottom, but filled the rest with plain paper. This bag was then shown to the victims to build trust.
2 persons duped of around Rs 10 lakh
In February, two victims were cheated of around Rs 10 lakh. One from Nayapalli reported a loss of Rs 6 lakh, while another from Bharatpur was swindled of Rs 4.3 lakh.
The accused were operating as an organised unit and had set traps in various locations across the city. The arrests come after an intense probe based on complaints filed by the victims, police sources said.
Police are probing whether more people are involved or have fallen prey to the scam.
“The gang members used to convince the targeted persons of having huge black money in the denomination of Rs 100 notes, which they wanted to exchange for Rs 500 currency notes,” Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said in a presser.
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The tricksters, in turn, were giving fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination.
“Acting on two separate FIRs earlier lodged with Nayapalli and Bharatpur police, we have arrested five persons including a woman,” the DCP Meena added.
