Odisha Crime Branch Cracks Cyber Franchise Scam, Arrests Mastermind from UP
B. Tech graduate allegedly duped Odisha resident of over Rs 25 lakh through fake Okinawa Electric Scooters dealership offer
Bhubaneswar, Sep 20: The Odisha Police Crime Branch has successfully busted a cyber-enabled franchise scam, arresting Ashish Kumar Yadav, a 30-year-old B. Tech graduate from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly duping an Odisha resident of over Rs 25 lakh.
According to officials, Yadav lured the victim with a fake offer to open a dealership for Okinawa Electric Scooters, executing the fraud primarily through digital communication platforms. “It was a cyber-enabled franchise fraud involving impersonation and cheating,” a senior Crime Branch officer said.
The victim transferred a total of Rs 25,35,646 in multiple transactions, believing in the promise of high returns. After the fraudsters demanded additional money and withheld the initial investment, the complainant realized the scheme was a scam and lodged an FIR.
Following a detailed digital investigation and analysis of transaction records, the Odisha Crime Branch traced the operation to Varanasi and Noida, identifying Yadav as a key perpetrator. He was arrested and booked under sections 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120(B), 34 IPC, along with Section 66-C/66-D of the IT Act, 2000. He has been remanded to judicial custody, while the search continues for other accomplices.
The Crime Branch has issued an advisory urging citizens to verify online franchise and dealership offers before investing and to report suspicious activity to the cyber helpline at 1930 or their nearest police station.
