Bhubaneswar woman duped of Rs 30 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ scam; Andhra Pradesh man held

In a major cyber fraud incident, a woman from the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar was allegedly cheated of Rs 30 lakh after falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam. Police have arrested one accused in connection with the case from Andhra Pradesh.

According to police sources, the woman received a phone call from unknown individuals who posed as officials of Mumbai’s Colaba Police Station. The callers claimed that an arrest warrant had been issued against her in connection with a serious criminal case and warned of immediate legal action.

To make the threat appear authentic, the fraudsters used official-sounding language and created a sense of fear and urgency. Under severe psychological pressure, the woman followed their instructions and transferred Rs 30 lakh from her bank account to multiple accounts provided by the callers. The scammers allegedly prevented her from contacting family members or verifying the information with local authorities.

Realising that she had been duped, the woman later approached the Cyber Police Station in Bhubaneswar and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation, traced the money trail, and identified those involved in the fraud.

In a significant breakthrough, police arrested one of the accused, identified as G. Chiranjeevi, a resident of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Investigators believe he is part of an interstate cybercrime syndicate.

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Police officials said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the racket, trace additional bank accounts used in the crime, and recover the defrauded amount. Authorities have urged the public to remain alert against ‘digital arrest’ scams and advised citizens to verify any claims of legal action with local police before transferring money.