Bhubaneswar: Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police in Bhubaneswar arrested a fraudster today for duping a man of around Rs 34,37,500 through a fake Facebook account.

The arrested fraudster was identified as Sreedhar Maharana (26), the son of late Kailash Maharana from Mill Street of Lochapoda under Berhampur Sadar police limits in Ganjam. Sreedhar presently resides in Nua Sahi locality of Khannagar near Tarini temple under Badambadi police limits of Cuttack.

According to an official source, the fraudster was arrested following a probe into the alleged cybercrime based on an FIR lodged by one Ankit Kumar Gupta. Sreedhar had opened a fake account on Facebook in the name of a fictitious girl and uploaded a good-looking photo as its profile picture.

Sreedhar had impersonated himself as a third-year medical (MBBS) student of a private college in Cuttack. Subsequently, the fraudster sent a friend request to victim Ankit, which was accepted by the complainant. Gradually, they chatted on messenger app and exchanged their mobile numbers.

Sreedhar started emotionally exploiting Ankit and earlier asked for money to treat the former’s family members as well as to pay the college fees, saying that the financial help was urgently needed. The complainant accordingly paid the total amount at different times to the cybercriminal’s bank account without verifying anything. However, Ankit doubted that something was going wrong with him.

“During the probe, Sreedhar confessed his crime. A detailed probe is underway,” a senior official said.

Cyber police have seized mobile phones, a laptop, debit cards of different banks and an ID card from the possession of the accused Sreedhar. He was forwarded to a local court later in the day.