PUNE: The Warje police are investigating a 28-year-old businessman's complaint stating an online caller, who claimed to be a representative of a prominent electric scooter manufacturer, duped him of Rs32.2 lakh on the pretext of helping him acquire a dealership.
The businessman, a resident of Warje, paid the amount in the name of deposit, dealership charges and other fees over the last six months. He transferred the amount to four different bank accounts.
Senior inspector Shankar Khatake of the Warje police said, "We are trying to locate the owner of the phone number used by the caller. We have also asked two banks for the details of the bank account holder(s)".
Khatake said, "The complainant runs an industrial fabrication unit in Khed-Shivapur. He had heard about the scooter brand and decided to approach the company seeking a dealership. He found a website with the same name as the scooter company and filled in all the details and submitted the form."
"The businessman then received a call from the fraudster, who explained the dealership charges, deposit and other fees. Once he received the money, the fraudster promised to send a team for inspection and to start the dealership. Tired of waiting, the businessman tried to reach out to the fraudster, but his number was unreachable. The businessman then contacted the company, only to know that the company does not give a dealership as informed by the fraudster," added Khatake.
