Odisha crime branch busts cyber franchise scam, nabs mastermind from UP

The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has busted an online scam by arresting a B. Tech graduate from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly duping a man from Odisha of over Rs 25 lakh.

The accused, Ashish Kumar Yadav (30), a native of Varanasi, UP, lured the victim with a fake offer of a dealership franchise for Okinawa Electric Scooters.

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“It was a cyber-enabled franchise fraud, involving impersonation, cheating and was executed primarily through digital communication platforms,” an official said on Saturday.

The complainant was defrauded by unknown cyber fraudsters on the pretext of opening a dealership of Okinawa Electric Scooters prompting him to transfer Rs.25,35,646 (Twenty five lakhs thirty five thousand six hundred forty six only).

The victim transferred the amount in multiple transactions. After the initial investment, the fraudsters convinced him to invest more, assuring higher returns. However, when they began demanding additional money and refused to release any funds, the victim then realized it was a scam and lodged an FIR.

After analyzing the transaction details, the investigating team is working upon other digital evidence that had cracked down at Varanasi and Noida at UP and identified Ashish Kumar Yadav as one of the perpetrators of crime and arrested him..

Booked under sections 419/ 420/ 465/ 467/ 468/ 471/ 120(B)/ 34 IPC r/w Section 66-C/66-D of IT Act-2000, Yadav was later remanded to judicial custody. Search is on to arrest others involved in the online franchise scam.

The Odisha Crime Branch issued an advisory appealing citizens to beware of fake dealership and franchise offers in social media platforms. “Always verify before investing to avoid falling victim to cyber frauds and to report such matters at 1930 Cyber helpline or at nearest police stations”, it said.