A 29-year-old man in Rajasthan’s Churu district was allegedly cheated of ₹1.73 lakh after a cyber fraudster posed as an L&T manager and promised to provide diesel at a price lower than the market rate. The accused allegedly claimed that an L&T project was underway near Dokwa and that surplus diesel was available. After gaining the victim’s confidence, the fraudster allegedly demanded money in the name of commission and subsequently obtained two additional payments before cutting off communication.
The victim, Satpal Singh, a resident of Dhana Patta Rajpura village, received a call from an unknown number. According to the complaint, the caller introduced himself as ‘Satya’ and claimed to be a manager with L&T. He told Satpal that company work was underway near Dokwa and that surplus diesel was available there. The caller allegedly offered to arrange the diesel at a price significantly lower than the prevailing market rate.
The promise of cheaper diesel reportedly convinced Satpal to continue communicating with the caller. The alleged manager told him that a commission had to be deposited before the diesel could be supplied. Trusting the offer, Satpal transferred ₹80,000 through PhonePe to a bank account provided by the caller. However, instead of arranging the delivery, the accused allegedly gave additional reasons for seeking more money and asked the victim to make further payments.
Satpal subsequently made two more transfers. He allegedly sent ₹50,000 in the second transaction and ₹43,000 in the third transaction to different bank accounts specified by the accused. With these three payments, the total amount transferred reached ₹1.73 lakh. After making the payments, Satpal contacted the alleged manager to ask about the delivery of the diesel, but the response he received was reportedly different from what he had expected.
The accused allegedly stopped answering the victim’s calls. Satpal reportedly tried several times to contact him but received no response. The caller subsequently blocked his mobile number. It was then that the victim realised that the promise of cheap diesel had allegedly been used as a pretext to defraud him of money.
After discovering the fraud, Satpal contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and reported the incident. Following the complaint, the Churu cyber police station registered a case and began an investigation. Police are examining the mobile number used by the accused, the bank accounts into which the money was transferred and the digital transaction trail to establish where the funds eventually went.
Investigators are also trying to determine whether the alleged fraud was carried out by an individual or was part of a larger cybercrime network. The movement of the ₹1.73 lakh will be examined through banking records. If the money was subsequently transferred through multiple accounts, police may investigate the account holders and determine whether they were knowingly involved or their accounts were used as part of the fraud.
The alleged use of a false professional identity is another important aspect of the investigation. By presenting himself as an L&T manager, the accused allegedly created an impression of legitimacy and used the company’s name and an ongoing project to convince the victim. Investigators may examine how the accused obtained information about the company and whether similar offers were made to other people.
The case also highlights the risks associated with unsolicited offers involving fuel, business supplies and other goods at unusually low prices. Fraudsters may use the names of established companies or ongoing projects to make their claims appear genuine. Victims can be persuaded to make advance payments by being told that the money is required for commission, security deposits, transportation or other processing charges.
Police have advised people to independently verify any such offer before transferring money. Anyone claiming to represent a company should be verified through the company’s official contact channels rather than relying on a phone number supplied by the caller. Payments to personal or unfamiliar bank accounts should also be avoided unless the transaction has been independently verified.
Churu cyber police are currently examining digital evidence and banking records to identify the person behind the alleged fraud and trace the stolen funds. Further action will be taken based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
