Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Arrested in Brahmapur; Accused Held from Madhya Pradesh
Manoj Kant Dash,Odishabarta
Brahmapur, August 18, 2026: Brahmapur Town Police have arrested a key accused allegedly involved in operating a Ponzi and money-circulation scheme under the name “WIN TO EARN.” The accused was arrested in connection with Brahmapur Town PS Case No. 371 dated 17.08.2026, registered under Sections 61(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) read with Sections 4 and 5 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.
The arrested accused has been identified as Sharif Mohammad (45), son of Bhanwar Khan, resident of C-48, Ramsinghpura, Sector-35, Pratap Nagar, Sanganer, PS Sadar, District Jaipur, Rajasthan.
According to police, on August 17 at around 5.30 PM, Inspector Mandakini Konhar, Additional Inspector-in-Charge of Brahmapur Town Police Station, received reliable information that Sharif Mohammad was staying at Hotel Radha Grand, Brahmapur, where he was allegedly introducing himself as an employee/leader of “WIN TO EARN” and collecting ₹5,700 from members of the public for enrolment.
Police said that after joining the organisation, members were allegedly required to recruit additional persons and were promised an incentive of ₹700 for every new member enrolled, thereby creating a successive chain of recruitment and monetary inducement.
During questioning, Sharif Mohammad allegedly disclosed that he was working as a leader of “WIN TO EARN” and had been staying at the hotel since May 28, 2026. He further stated that he had enrolled 93 persons from Brahmapur and adjoining areas, collecting Rs.5,700 from each member.
According to police, he also named Shibaji Sandhyan of Bhopal as the owner of the company.
Two other persons present at the hotel, identified as Niranjan Behera and Kartikeswar Sahu, reportedly told police that they were members of “WIN TO EARN” and had invested money after being allegedly attracted by assurances of financial benefits.
Police seized the following articles from the accused possession.
- PAN Card and Aadhaar Card of Sharif Mohammad;
- One mobile phone;
- Colour photocopy of “WTA Win to Earn” documents;
- Photocopy of a Zoom meeting notice;
- Photocopy of a plan titled “Jo plan dekhata he wohi kamatahe”;
- One dark-grey Maruti Suzuki Baleno bearing registration number MP43C6008.
Sharif Mohammad was arrested on August 18, 2026, and subsequently forwarded to the competent court. Further investigation is in progress.
Police Advisory: Beware of Ponzi Schemes
Brahmapur Town Police have appealed to the public to remain cautious about Ponzi, illegal money-circulation and pyramid-type schemes promising quick and unusually high returns.
A Ponzi scheme typically uses money collected from new participants to provide returns to earlier participants rather than generating returns through a genuine business activity.
Such schemes generally collapse when the flow of new participants and money stops, causing substantial financial losses to investors.
Police advised citizens:
- Do not invest in schemes that primarily require you to recruit others to earn money.
- Be cautious of promises of quick and exceptionally high returns.
- Verify the credentials and business activities of any company before investing.
- Report suspicious money-circulation or recruitment-based investment schemes to the nearest police station immediately.
Brahmapur Town Police urged citizens to protect their hard-earned money and remain alert against fraudulent investment schemes.
