- Odisha police bust a widespread crypto scam, uncovering a staggering ₹1,000 fraud, victimizing individuals across India.
- Two pivotal players within the scam were taken into custody.
- The fraudulent scheme amassed more than 200,000+ members nationwide.
In a significant breakthrough, the Odisha police have apprehended the masterminds behind a colossal cryptocurrency scam that defrauded victims of a staggering ₹1,000 crore across India, as reported by the Times of India. The operation unfolded as the Odisha police pursued a complex investigation that traversed state borders and revealed the extent of the deception.
The fraud, centered around the STA Crypto Token, ensnared individuals from various states, including Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh. The perpetrators orchestrated a large-scale pyramid scheme that encouraged unsuspecting victims to invest in the STA Crypto Token, with devastating financial consequences.
Gurtej Singh Sidu, the key figure behind the scheme, was apprehended by the Odisha police. Nirod Das, a prominent STA Crypto Token operation member in Odisha, was also apprehended.
The elaborate scheme spanned several states, leading to the loss of investments from over 10,000 individuals in Odisha alone. The criminals exploited the eagerness of victims, urging them to invest and enlist others, thereby accumulating substantial sums of money.
JN Pankaj, Inspector-General of the Economic Offence Wing (EOW), stated, “Odisha (EOW) has busted a very big multimedia, pyramid structure, Ponzi scam… We have got to know that people have invested more than ₹1,000 crores in this scam across India. Around 10,000 people from Odisha are also there. A lot more people are involved from the Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, MP, and Haryana sides. Approximately 2 lakh people are members of this.”
The initial lead for the investigation came from the Odisha Economic Offence Wing’s intelligence division, which uncovered the operation’s activities in districts such as Bhadrak, Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapada, and Keonjhar.
The fraudulent scheme amassed more than 200,000+ members nationwide, with a significant presence in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Assam.
The Solar Techno Alliance (STA) purported to offer solar technology services using blockchain technology. However, it exploited its members by promising unrealistic earnings and lavish bonuses.
Despite elaborate ceremonies and lavish rewards, STA lacked the necessary authorizations, raising red flags. It was discovered that the fraudulent network operated without the authorization of regulatory bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Moreover, the STA website, hosted in Iceland, predominantly targeted India, with a young Hungarian national named David Gez leading the operation.
In response to the investigation’s findings, the authorities issued an advisory urging the public to avoid investing in schemes that promise swift riches through unrealistic means. The advisory stressed the importance of conducting thorough due diligence before committing funds and cautioned individuals against falling victim to fraudulent pyramid schemes.
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