Wayanad: A conman from Odisha, who was arrested by Wayanad cyber police for defrauding a female software engineer of Rs 13 lakh, allegedly posed as a model and lived a luxurious life in Mumbai with proceeds of the scam.
The accused, Sushil Kumar Farid (31) of Gothagram in Satyabhamapur of Odisha was apprehended at Royal Palm Estate, Goregaon, in a luxury car (OD 05A AE 7999) on June 13. He owned two flats in Mumbai.
According to police, the scam began in March 2024 when the accused contacted the complainant—a software engineer from Mananthavady—through Telegram. He convinced her that she could earn money by reviewing movies and participating in profitable online trading schemes. Over several days, she transferred a total of Rs 13 lakh across multiple accounts.
After realizing the fraud, she reported it via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, and the case was taken up by Wayanad Cyber Police.
The investigation, led by Station House Officer Shaju Joseph, spanned months, tracing transactions to Chennai, where an auto driver, Murugan, was arrested. He provided key leads about Kumar’s bank accounts opened under fake company names using forged documents by offering small payments. Police tracked Kumar to Mumbai, monitoring his online activity and movements, with help from Wayanad Motor Vehicle Inspector Padmalal, who helped the police to track him down by identifying his vehicle.
Following his arrest, police seized the car, four mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, and ATM cards from his possession. He reportedly floated fake paper companies across various states and opened bank accounts in the names of unsuspecting individuals. The illicit funds were often converted to cryptocurrency to evade detection, police added.
(With inputs from https://www.onmanorama.com)
