Berhampur University Vice Chancellor Geetanjali Dash has reportedly been defrauded of Rs 14 lakh in a sophisticated cyber scam operation, according to police statements made on Tuesday. The perpetrator posed as an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer and convinced Dash she was under "digital arrest."

The scam began on February 12 when Dash received a call from the impersonator who claimed she was implicated in an ED investigation, alleging that significant sums had been deposited in a bank account linked to her name. The caller then informed her she was being placed under "digital arrest" and demanded Rs 14 lakh for her release, a payment which Dash subsequently transferred to the account specified by the fraudster.

To establish credibility, the scammer, who communicated in English and demonstrated knowledge of Dash's family, instructed her to empty her bank account for a supposed audit. The criminal initially refunded Rs 80,000 to her account the following day, promising to return the remaining amount in installments. Dash only realized she had been defrauded when the caller became unreachable.

Berhampur SP Saravan Vivek confirmed that an investigation is underway following Dash's complaint filed on February 24 at the local cyber police station. Authorities have stated that efforts are being made to identify and apprehend those responsible for the fraud.