Maharashtra: 37-Year-Old Dhule Man Falls Victim to ₹55 Lakh Cyber Fraud by Fake Petrol Pump Dealership Agents

Mumbai: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 37-year-old man from Dhule was duped of ₹55 lakh by scammers who posed as petrol pump dealership agents. The fraudsters promised the victim a petrol pump dealership and tricked him into transferring a huge sum of money for the registration charges.

According to the Dhule police, the complainant, a resident of Dhule, had shown interest in obtaining a petrol pump dealership and had shared his contact details on a webpage offering information about such opportunities in November last year. Shortly after, he received a phone call from an individual who claimed to represent a petrol pump dealership and inquired if he was interested in the dealership.

The scammer then shared a link with the victim, directing him to a registration form, and asked him to fill out the required details. On November 14, the complainant received another phone call from the fraudster, who informed him that a fee for registration was due. The accused then shared a fake invoice and provided the complainant with bank account details, instructing him to transfer the registration fee.

In the following days, the complainant made seven online transactions, transferring a total of ₹55 lakh to the provided bank account. However, after transferring the money, the complainant did not receive any further communication from the scammers. Growing suspicious, he conducted further inquiries and realized he had been duped.

The victim then filed an online complaint on the cybercrime portal, leading the Dhule police to register a case under various sections, including sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), and section 66D (cheating by personation using computer resources) of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.

The Dhule police are now investigating the case and have urged people to be cautious and verify such offers before making any financial commitments. Authorities are working to track down the fraudsters and have warned the public to be aware of similar scams.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat of cyber fraud and the importance of vigilance when dealing with online transactions.