Kandhamal, Feb 4: In a recent case of cybercrime, some employees of the Kandhamal Government Degree College in Sarangada, under the Baliguda sub-division, fell victim to an online scam, leading to a stealing of over ₹40,000. The staff members were deceived into sharing sensitive information, including passwords and OTPs, with cybercriminals who then siphoned money from their accounts.
The fraud came to light when Ashok Kumar Pani, the college’s principal, received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be a representative of K. Nuagaon Block. The caller introduced himself as someone involved in the college's smart class development project and promised financial assistance for the college. He convinced Pani to transfer money from the college account to an individual account, under the pretext of securing funds for the project.
The caller further instructed Pani to provide account details, passwords, and OTPs, which ultimately led to the scam. Following this, money was withdrawn from the accounts of three employees—Lokanath Patra (librarian), Sushant Pradhan (dean), and Prashant Pradhan (teacher). Patra's account alone was debited by ₹10,000, while the remaining amounts were also siphoned from the other two employees' accounts.
Realizing they had been scammed, Patra lodged a complaint at the Sarangada Police Station, accusing Principal Ashok Kumar Pani of being complicit in the crime. Patra’s complaint has raised concerns over the legitimacy of the transactions, but no formal action has been taken against Pani as of yet, and investigations are ongoing.
In response to the allegations, Principal Ashok Kumar Pani has denied any wrongdoing. He stated that he is fully cooperating with the authorities and is willing to assist the police in uncovering the truth. Meanwhile, local police are closely monitoring the case and have assured that appropriate action will be taken once the investigation proceeds.
Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited phone calls and to protect sensitive information to avoid falling prey to such scams.
