Two Held for Rs 97.28 Lakh Online Dollar Trading Scam
Accused allegedly promised high returns, used fake bank documents to gain the victims' trust, and later threatened them when they sought a refund.
Odisha Police arrested two persons on Sunday for allegedly cheating a Bhubaneswar couple of Rs 97.28 lakh through a fraudulent online dollar trading scheme, officials said on Monday.
According to police, the accused lured the couple into investing by promising unusually high returns within six months through dollar trading. To gain their confidence, they initially returned Rs 7.95 lakh, encouraging the victims to invest larger amounts. However, after collecting nearly Rs 97.28 lakh, the accused allegedly failed to repay more than Rs 89 lakh.
Police said the accused repeatedly cited banking issues to justify the delay and allegedly shared fake screenshots and fabricated digital documents to make it appear that the funds were being transferred.
When the couple demanded their money back, the accused allegedly abused and threatened them, including issuing threats of murder and rape, following which the victims lodged a police complaint.
During the investigation, Nayapalli Police seized bank transaction records, WhatsApp chats, a settlement agreement and post-dated cheques allegedly linked to the fraud.
Based on prima facie evidence, the two accused were arrested. Police said further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the financial transactions and whether more people were involved in the alleged scam.
