Faridabad: A cyber fraud involving the purchase of old currency notes has surfaced in Haryana’s Faridabad, where a man lost ₹1,02,267 after falling for a fake Facebook advertisement offering ₹1 crore for an old ₹5 note featuring a tractor. The fraudsters allegedly convinced the victim to pay multiple charges, including airport fees, security fees, customs duty, GST, sales tax and other processing costs, claiming these were mandatory before the payment could be released. After collecting the money in several instalments, the accused stopped honouring their promise, prompting the victim to approach the police.
According to the complaint, the victim, Sunil Kumar Jain, a resident of Sector-8 in Faridabad, came across a Facebook advertisement claiming to buy rare old coins and currency notes at exceptionally high prices. He contacted the mobile number mentioned in the advertisement, where the caller introduced himself as a representative of an exchange buyer company dealing in collectible currency.
During the conversation, the caller asked Sunil to send photographs of his old ₹5 tractor-design note through WhatsApp. After examining the images, the fraudster claimed that the note was extremely rare and could fetch as much as ₹1 crore. To make the offer appear genuine, the accused explained what they described as a formal payment process and insisted that certain mandatory government and administrative charges had to be paid before the amount could be transferred.
The fraudsters told the victim that airport fees, security charges, customs duty, sales tax, GST and other processing fees had to be deposited in advance. They assured him that once these formalities were completed, the promised ₹1 crore would be credited directly to his bank account.
Believing the claims, the victim transferred a total of ₹1,02,267 in multiple instalments to different bank accounts between 14 July and 21 July. Despite receiving the payments, the accused neither transferred the promised amount nor returned the money. Instead, they continued making excuses and allegedly demanded additional payments.
Realising that he had been deceived, Sunil filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ballabhgarh. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR on 25 July and initiated an investigation into the fraud.
Investigators are examining the mobile numbers used by the suspects, beneficiary bank accounts, digital payment records, call details and other electronic evidence to trace the accused. Authorities are also analysing the money trail to identify whether the fraud involved multiple bank accounts or a wider organised cybercrime network.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that frauds involving rare currency notes and old coins have become increasingly common on social media. According to him, scammers lure victims with unrealistic offers worth lakhs or crores of rupees and then demand advance payments under the guise of airport clearance, customs duty, taxes, insurance or processing charges. He advised people never to transfer money to unknown individuals or organisations solely on the promise of receiving a large payment for collectible items.
Cybersecurity experts also caution users against trusting social media advertisements that promise unusually high returns for old currency notes or coins. Any buyer demanding advance fees before making payment should be treated as suspicious. Victims of such frauds are advised to report the incident immediately through the National Cyber Helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal so that financial recovery and investigative action can begin at the earliest.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
