Puri: Puri Cyber Police have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly impersonating an IAS officer and committing cyber fraud involving lakhs of rupees. The accused has been identified as Balabhadra Mishra, a resident of Angul district.According to police, the accused contacted a woman through the Bharat Matrimony app and introduced himself as an Additional Secretary posted in Chhattisgarh. He allegedly used his fake identity to threaten the woman with a transfer to the KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) region of Odisha.The accused reportedly obtained the complainant’s mobile number through the matrimonial platform and subsequently established contact with her.Police said Mishra allegedly forced the woman to open three bank accounts with the State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank and Indian Overseas Bank. All three accounts were linked to the accused’s mobile number.He subsequently took possession of the passbooks, cheque books, debit cards and credit cards associated with these accounts.The woman later discovered that a loan amounting to Rs 6.5 lakh had been credited to her bank account without her consent. When she objected, the matter eventually reached the Puri Cyber Police Station, where she lodged a formal complaint.Acting on the complaint, Puri Cyber Police launched an investigation and arrested the accused.During the investigation, police seized a Toyota car, Rs 10,000 in cash, 14 passbooks, nine cheque books and 17 debit and credit cards from his possession.Police also revealed that Mishra has previously faced serious cyber fraud allegations at police stations in Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar.
Fake IAS Officer Arrested in Odisha for Cyber Fraud
