Mother-Son Duo Arrested in Bhubaneswar Digital Fraud Case

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha CID-Crime Branch has arrested two individuals, including a woman, from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a digital fraud case involving ₹1.37 crore.

The Cyber Crime Unit arrested Neelam Aggarwal and her son Vansh Aggarwal for their role in a cybercrime network that operated under the guise of a fraudulent gaming platform. The arrests were made following a complaint from a senior citizen in Bhubaneswar, who reported being defrauded by scammers posing as FedEx officials and Mumbai Cyber Crime Division personnel.

According to the complaint, the victim received calls on May 22, 2024, warning that his Aadhaar card had been hacked and used for money laundering. The fraudsters claimed a criminal case had been filed against him, threatening jail time unless he transferred his funds to accounts they provided. Believing the scam, the complainant transferred ₹1.37 crore across three transactions.

The investigation revealed that ₹1.12 crore was deposited into the account of Vansheel Software Private Limited, a company owned by the Aggarwals. The Crime Branch team traveled to Ghaziabad and arrested the duo on December 27, 2024, bringing them to Odisha on transit remand.

Further inquiries uncovered 13 bank accounts opened by the accused at PNB and SBI branches in Meerut, used to siphon defrauded funds. The Aggarwals were previously arrested in New Delhi for a similar fraud, where they allegedly cheated victims out of ₹63 lakh.

The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) shows the duo is linked to over 15 cases nationwide. Odisha Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing, with efforts underway to track down other members of the cybercrime syndicate.