A 31-year-old conman from Odisha was arrested in Mumbai for defrauding a female software engineer from Wayanad of Rs 13 lakh. Sushil Kumar Farid, hailing from Gothagram in Satyabhamapur, Odisha, was apprehended at Royal Palm Estate in Goregaon on June 13. He was found in a luxury car bearing the registration number OD 05A AE 7999 and was revealed to own two flats in Mumbai.
The scam began in March 2024 when Farid contacted the victim through Telegram, convincing her to 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. Upon realizing she had been defrauded, she reported the incident via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, prompting Wayanad Cyber Police to take up the case.
The investigation, led by Station House Officer Shaju Joseph, involved tracing transactions to Chennai, where an auto driver named Murugan was arrested. Murugan provided crucial information about Farid’s bank accounts, which were opened under fake company names using forged documents. The police then tracked Farid to Mumbai, monitoring his online activities and movements with the help of Wayanad Motor Vehicle Inspector Padmalal, who identified his vehicle.
Following Farid’s arrest, the police seized the luxury car, four mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, and ATM cards from his possession. Investigations revealed that Farid had 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.
Farid posed as a model and lived a luxurious life in Mumbai using the proceeds of the scam. The case highlights the sophisticated methods used by cybercriminals to deceive victims and launder money.
