Sambalpur: Another Investment Fraud in Sambalpur; Lost More Than 65 Lakh Rupees After Falling into Stock Investment Trap

A New Cyber Fraud Trend

Sambalpur: A new scam method called “stock investment” is making rounds in Sambalpur. Despite repeated warnings and public awareness, people continue falling victim. In recent months, many such cases have surfaced. In the latest incident, Ranjan Panda (37) from Badabazar, Khetrajpur police limits, was cheated of over Rs. 65 lakh by fraudsters promising high returns.

How the Scam Unfolded

According to Ranjan, a man named Priyaranjan Swain first contacted him. Priyaranjan introduced Ranjan to a company called Digital GPNS Business Pvt Ltd. He claimed the company offers 7% monthly returns on investments. Initially, Ranjan did not trust the offer. However, over time, the scammers convinced him by saying that for the past four years, many people across Odisha had joined and were earning profits.

Eventually, Ranjan believed them and invested Rs. 2.5 lakh from his bank account. Soon after, the company arranged an online meeting where two others, Abinash Sahu and Ajay Sharma, introduced themselves as the company’s brand ambassadors. They confidently claimed the company was trustworthy and they themselves had earned high returns.

Encouraged by this, Ranjan ended up investing a total of Rs. 79.6 lakh. He did receive Rs. 14.6 lakh back as initial returns, but later realized he had been cheated when the payments stopped. Ranjan has now filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Economic Offense Wing in Bhubaneswar. A Zero FIR (No. 3/25) has been registered and forwarded to Sambalpur police.

Police Struggle to Catch Cybercriminals

Unfortunately, this is not a new story for Sambalpur. Since the start of the year, many similar scams have been reported. Yet, the police have failed to catch the culprits. Sambalpur lacks a dedicated cybercrime squad and does not have the necessary tools or advanced skills to track these criminals.

Moreover, the scammers keep changing their names, addresses, and methods. Using modern techniques, they drain hard-earned money directly from people’s bank accounts, often vanishing within moments. While cybercrime keeps expanding, the cyber police struggle to keep up.

Educated People Also Falling Victim

It’s not just common people; even many highly educated individuals are getting trapped in these fraud schemes. In short, cybercriminals continue to loot people openly, while the police remain helpless and far behind.