Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Wednesday recovered Rs 1.1 crore defrauded from a retired professor in Bhubaneswar, who fell victim to a “digital arrest” cyberscam earlier this year, besides assisting him in getting the money back to his account.The victim, in his 60s, was duped of Rs 2.45 crore in Feb after fraudsters kept him under a four-day “digital arrest”. He was first told over a phone call that his Aadhaar card was linked to a terrorist’s bank account. The call then switched to video, where another scammer posed as an Intelligence Bureau officer and sent him a fake “digital arrest order” via WhatsApp, forbidding him from leaving his room or speaking to anyone. Under pressure, he transferred Rs 2,45,24,540 to multiple accounts.Realising he was duped, he lodged an FIR with the crime branch’s cybercrime police station on March 2 and later filed a complaint on National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) on May 15.“Our cybercrime team promptly analysed the transaction trail and identified several beneficiary accounts. Hold and lien marks were placed to prevent further dissipation of funds. Through coordinated efforts with the bank concerned, one account containing Rs 1.1 crore was traced and frozen,” a senior crime branch officer said.Police then assisted the complainant in obtaining court orders, leading to the release and successful credit of the money back to his account.Nobody, however, has been arrested in the case so far.According to Odisha police data, a total of 49,426 complaints involving Rs 432.28 crore in cyberfraud were registered on the NCRP from the state in 2025, of which Rs 68.71 crore was frozen and Rs 5.31 crore refunded. Between Jan and April 2026, at least 16,335 complaints involving Rs 134.24 crore were filed, with Rs 24.27 crore frozen and Rs 2.97 crore returned.Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant against fraudsters impersonating cops or officers from CBI, customs or other agencies. “They create panic through video or voice calls, falsely accuse victims of illegal activities, and coerce them into transferring money or staying under so-called ‘digital house arrest’. No govt agency conducts verification through video calls or directs citizens to transfer money,” the officer warned.Police said that citizens are advised not to panic, avoid sharing personal or financial details and verify callers through official channels. Any such incident should be reported immediately by dialling the 1930 cybercrime helpline or lodging a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
