Bengaluru — In a bizarre case of online fraud, a 43-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru was left shocked after receiving a piece of tile instead of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 he had ordered from Amazon. The phone, priced at ₹1.86 lakh, was delivered on October 19, but the victim, Premanand, soon realized he had been duped.
Premanand, exercising caution, had recorded the unboxing process a move that proved crucial evidence in filing his complaint. He immediately reported the fraud to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) before approaching the Kumaraswamy Layout Police Station.
Police Register Cyber Fraud Case
Following his complaint, the police registered an FIR under Section 66(d) of the Information Technology Act (cheating by personation) and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to cheating involving property and impersonation.
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Officials confirmed that the investigation would determine whether the fraud originated during dispatch, transit, or local delivery.
“The customer acted prudently by recording the unboxing, which strengthens the case and will help trace accountability across the supply chain,” said a senior cybercrime official.
Similar Incidents and Wider Nexus
This case comes shortly after Gurugram Police arrested four people in October for allegedly stealing Amazon parcels bound for Bengaluru and replacing them with low-value items. Investigators believe there may be a larger interstate network targeting high-value electronics purchased online.
Experts point out that such scams exploit gaps in warehouse handling and last-mile delivery, often using duplicate packaging and tampered QR codes to avoid detection.
Cybercrime and Consumer Awareness
The incident has reignited debate about the growing scale of e-commerce-related cyber and logistics fraud in India. The Cyber Crime Division has warned consumers to always record unboxing videos and immediately file complaints via the NCRP portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) in case of discrepancies.
Cybersecurity experts recommend verifying tracking numbers, avoiding third-party sellers, and checking Amazon’s “fulfilled by” tag for authenticity. “Even major e-commerce platforms can be exploited through rogue logistics chains. Consumers must remain alert, especially when ordering expensive items,” said a Bengaluru-based cyber law analyst.
