Accountant Falls Victim to Petrol Pump Dealership Scam in Pune

A 33-year-old accountant from Chakan MIDC, Pune, was duped of Rs 8.90 lakh by cyber criminals who posed as senior officials of a petroleum company. The fraudsters tricked the victim by claiming that they needed registration charges, dealership fees, and licence fees for setting up a petrol pump under a government scheme. The accountant, who wanted to start a petrol pump on his own land in Khed taluka, filed a complaint with the cyber police after realizing the scam.

The victim learned about a petroleum company's scheme to establish petrol pumps in rural areas with a central government grant. He applied for the dealership in April this year after checking the company's website. A few days later, he received an email from the 'company' stating that his application was approved. The email included a bank account number for the payment of registration charges.

The accountant immediately transferred the initial amount to the provided bank account. He then received a call from a man claiming to be the company's 'sales manager.' The man explained the entire process of the dealership and requested photographs of the land where the petrol pump was to be set up. The victim received a 'Letter of Intent' and was instructed to transfer money for the dealership fees. He complied and was later told to pay the licence fees. In total, the accountant transferred Rs 8.90 lakh to the two bank account numbers provided by the 'company.'

The accountant became suspicious when he was asked to transfer Rs 20 lakh as a deposit for the dealership. He visited the Chakan branch of one of the two banks where he had transferred the money and discovered that the account was a savings account, not a company account. The victim tried to contact the 'company officials' but received no response. He then approached the police and lodged a complaint. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim's money was transferred to two bank accounts in Bandra, Mumbai. The investigation is ongoing.

This incident highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud in India, especially in schemes involving large sums of money. Victims are often lured by the promise of lucrative opportunities and are then duped by sophisticated scams. It is crucial for individuals to verify the authenticity of such offers and to be cautious when making financial transactions online.