17 November,2023 06:17 PM IST | Bhubaneswar | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
Odisha crime news: The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police has reportedly unearthed a crypto-ponzi scam, the officials said, reported the PTI.
The crypto-ponzi scam, in which around 2.5 lakh people of eight states were defrauded, amounts to over Rs 200 crore, an official said on Friday, according to the news agency.
As per the PTI, as many as three persons were arrested in connection with the scam. Out of the three suspects, one was captured from Rajasthan capital Jaipur while he was trying to reportedly flee to Dubai in the UAE.
The two other accused were picked up from Bhubaneswar on Thursday, the EOW official said, according to the PTI.
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The arrested people were associated with a company, 'Yes World Crypto Token', which swindled 2.5 lakh investors from Punjab, Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, Haryana, Gujrat, Bihar and Jharkhand of more than Rs 200 crore with a promise of exceptionally high returns in a very short time.
The EOW has launched an investigation into the scam on the basis of a complaint lodged by an investor in Puri town, the official said.
To attract people, the company used to conduct publicity programmes at posh hotels in various places.
This is the second crypto-ponzi scam since August unearthed by EOW.
In that scam, over 2 lakh people from across the country were defrauded of Rs 1,000 crore. Four people allegedly involved in it were arrested by the police.
Meanwhile, in an another incident, in September, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police had frozen as many as 11 bank accounts containing 148 crore and seized 5 properties a Mumbai based couple.
According to official sources, the properties, which are situated in Kandivli, Goregaon and Santacruz, are worth approximately Rs 16 crore in total. Funds belonging to the couple worth Rs 170 crore were frozen earlier due to the efforts of the Mumbai Police.
The couple had been at large after a drug case was filed against them in Madhya Pradesh in the first week of June. Days later, a cheating case was registered against them at the Amboli police station after a former Maharashtra MLA had approached the police.
(with PTI inputs)
