A local dairy operator was cheated of ₹7.15 lakh by cyber fraudsters who impersonated army officers and offered a lucrative bulk supply contract. The victim, Prithvi Singh, owner of Haryana Dairy in Manesar, filed a complaint after he fell prey to a sophisticated scam involving video calls, fake uniforms, and payment app manipulation.
Singh, who resides in Patherheri village, was approached on August 11 by a man introducing himself as “Satish Kumar,” claiming to be an army officer. The fraudster said Singh’s elder brother had referred him and proposed a long-term supply order involving milk, cheese, and yogurt, to be delivered daily for four months.
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Video Call and Payment Trap
On August 12, Singh visited a location near Amity Military School, Manesar, to finalize the deal. There he was instructed that a senior officer would join via video call for advance payment. During the call, a person in uniform directed Singh to input specific details into the PhonePe app, ostensibly for payment processing. Within thirty minutes—between 9:11 AM and 9:48 AM—the fraudsters executed nine separate transactions, siphoning off ₹7.15 lakh from Singh’s bank account.
Discovery and Response
After the video call dropped, Singh attempted to verify the identity of the officers and location. He visited Amity Military School, only to find no connection to the people who had contacted him.
Realizing the deception, Singh reported the fraud via the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 and lodged an FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Manesar. The complaint names unknown persons under Sections 318(4)—cheating by dishonestly inducing delivery of property—and 319—cheating by personation.
Expert Advice & Public Warning
Authorities are cautioning businesses and individuals to verify identities before entering large supply contracts, especially when approached by strangers via phone or video.
Cybercrime expert Prof. Triveni Singh emphasized that criminals frequently use fake uniforms, image-based calling apps, and formal-sounding references to build trust. “Always insist on written contracts, authenticate through official channels, and do not share payment approvals or credentials based on video calls alone,” he said.