A former Army personnel has been arrested in Odisha for allegedly running a massive mobile app scam that cheated hundreds of investors with false promises of daily returns. The fraudulent scheme was operated through a platform called Huge App and has left victims across multiple districts facing devastating losses.
The Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police arrested Partha Sarathi Das, originally from Sahada in Balasore’s Chandipur, who was managing operations from Rajendra Nagar in Cuttack. Investigators revealed that Das lured people with offers of daily returns of ₹200 on a minimum deposit of ₹5,500. Users were also asked to give five star ratings to videos on the app and were promised extra incentives for bringing in new investors.
In the beginning, the scheme appeared convincing as initial investors received returns. This helped build trust and encouraged more people to invest. However, on August 15, participants were suddenly asked to pay an additional ₹4,950 as annual maintenance charges. Shortly after, the office was shut and the app stopped working, leaving hundreds of people stranded without their money.
The case came to light when a complaint was lodged on August 28 by Mirza Adil Beg of Kadam Rasul, who reported that he and 200 others had lost ₹33 lakh collectively. Police later uncovered that the fraud was far larger, involving investments worth more than ₹20 crore.
A special police team traced Das to his hometown in Chandipur and arrested him. Authorities seized ₹68,000 in cash, three mobile phones, a Huge Marketing Ltd authorisation certificate, and froze ₹2.51 lakh from his bank account. He has been brought back to Cuttack to face charges.
“Efforts are on to trace his associates and assess the full scale of the fraud. The EOW is coordinating with Cyber Crime police to recover evidence and safeguard the interests of the victims,” a senior officer said.
The Huge App scam highlights the growing threat of digital Ponzi schemes disguised as genuine investment opportunities. Experts warn that such frauds exploit misplaced trust and the lure of easy money. While Das’s arrest offers some relief, recovering the siphoned funds and identifying other members of the racket remains a challenge.
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