Argus News - Bhubaneswar Woman Loses Rs 30 Lakh in 'Digital Arrest' Cyber Fraud, Accused Held

Bhubaneswar, Jan 27: A woman from Bhubaneswar fell victim to a “digital arrest” cyber fraud, losing Rs 30 lakh to online scammers, a source said Tuesday.

Following a complaint lodged at Cyber Police Station, the cops arrested an accused from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the case. The accused has been identified as Gulipagi Chiranjeev.

Police said they recovered two mobile phones, one ATM card, one cheque book, one PAN card and one Aadhaar card from the accused.

According to the source, the incident dates back to November 6, 2025, when the woman, a resident of the Lingaraj Gauri Nagar area, received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and claimed that her SIM card was being used in various criminal activities.

The caller allegedly intimidated the woman and later informed her that the call would be transferred to Mumbai’s Colaba police station. Soon after, she received a video call from another unknown number.

During the video call, the fraudster reportedly displayed documents resembling an arrest warrant and claimed that the case would be transferred to the Enforcement Directorate. The woman was allegedly instructed not to step out of her house or contact anyone.

The source said the accused provided the woman with details of multiple bank accounts and threatened her with arrest if the money was not transferred. Fearing legal action, the woman went to an SBI branch on Lewis Road and transferred Rs 30 lakh to three different bank accounts provided by the fraudster.

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After realising she had been cheated, the woman approached the Bhubaneswar Cyber Police Station and lodged a complaint. Based on the complaint, police launched an investigation and later arrested the accused from Uttar Pradesh.