Two held for stealing money using senior citizen’s debit cards | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Two men were arrested in Cuttack district on Thursday for allegedly stealing money using senior citizens’ debit cards to fund their fantasy cricket betting addiction on a popular gaming app. The accused, Manoj Sahoo (35) and Pradeep Sahoo (28), were reportedly lured by the platform’s promotional offer of prize money to the tune of crores and luxury SUVs.Police have found that the main accused Manoj, who in order to see his dream of winning at least Rs 3 crore reward and a SUV fulfilled, has been committing crimes like theft, robbery, snatching and cheating since several years to purchase his virtual ‘best-performing dream team’.“We have so far found 43 criminal cases against Manoj. After coming out on bail, he reverted to the same offences, primarily to fund his fantasy cricket betting,” SP (Cuttack rural) Prateek Singh told TOI. Pradeep was assisting Manoj in his crimes.Manoj and Pradeep targeted several elderly account holders by stealing their ATM card details in Athagarh area between Jan and March this year. According to police officials, they would observe senior citizens at ATM kiosks and offer assistance under the pretext of helping them with their transactions.“The accused would memorise their PIN numbers while pretending to help them and later swap their cards with fake ones. Using the stolen information, they would withdraw money and purchase gold. By mortgaging the stolen gold, they would take loan and invest in online fantasy cricket games,” Singh said.Several victims reported unauthorised transactions from their accounts, prompting an investigation. The total amount stolen is estimated to be several lakhs of rupees, though exact figures are still being determined. “We arrested them following examination of CCTV footage and our intelligence inputs. We seized over 26 ATM cards and cash of Rs 2.6 lakh from the accused,” the SP said. The arrests came amid growing concerns about the rise in online gambling addiction and related crimes. “Fantasy sports platforms have gained immense popularity in India, particularly during cricket seasons, with some offering substantial prize money to attract users. It also highlights the dangerous consequences of gambling addiction,” said senior lawyer Sidharth Das.
