Three Odisha Pharmacists Arrested In Rs 8.5 Lakh Pension Cyber Fraud Case

A major cyber fraud racket linked to the infamous Jamtara network has been busted by Odisha Cyber Police. Three accused have been arrested from Assam for allegedly cheating a retired bank employee from Bhubaneswar of Rs 8.5 lakh on the pretext of providing pension-related services.The victim, a retired bank employee, received a link from fraudsters claiming it was required for applying for a Life Pension Card. Trusting the message, he clicked on the link and entered his personal and banking details. Soon after, Rs 8.5 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account.Following the complaint, Bhubaneswar Cyber Police launched an investigation and traced the cyber trail to Assam. Acting swiftly, police arrested three accused who were reportedly

working as pharmacists while simultaneously operating a cyber fraud network.Investigators revealed that the accused were targeting pensioners and senior citizens by posing as officials offering assistance with pension-related formalities. During the probe, police discovered links to the notorious cybercrime hub of Jamtara in Jharkhand, known for large-scale online financial frauds across India.One of the arrested accused, Kalim Ansari, a resident of Jamtara, is believed to be the mastermind of the operation and is also wanted in another cybercrime case.Police suspect the gang may be involved in several similar frauds reported in Odisha, Delhi, Rajasthan, and other states. Digital evidence, financial transactions, and interstate connections are currently under investigation.Bhubaneswar Cyber Police ACP said,"The fraudsters sent the victim a link to apply for a Life Pension Card and asked him to fill in the required details. After the victim provided the requested information, ₹8.5 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account. We have arrested three persons in connection with the case."She further added,"Among the accused, Kalim Ansari is from Jamtara and is wanted in another cybercrime case. He is the mastermind behind this operation. We suspect that their modus operandi may be similar in other cases as well, as we have received several complaints of a similar nature."Authorities have urged citizens, especially senior citizens and pensioners, not to click on unknown links or share banking credentials online. Cyber Police have appealed to the public to verify all pension-related communications through official government channels.With investigations continuing, police are working to identify more members of the interstate cybercrime syndicate and uncover the full scale of the fraud network.