Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce firm, was cheated of Rs 1.56 crore by a gang of proxy customers between January 1, 2016, and November 3, 2017. It has filed a complaint with the cybercrime police.
The customers had ordered expensive products on Flipkart. Once the orders were delivered, they put stones and soil in the package and complained that they had received nothing but trash.
They demanded a refund or else threatened to approach court and “expose” Flipkart on social media. The gang mainly bought cameras, mobile phones and wristwatches as these can be carried easily.
According to S N Murthy, nodal officer, Flipkart Internet Pvt, the company lost a total of Rs 1,56,39,372.
A number of similar complaints prompted Flipkart to examine customer details. It concluded that it was a deliberate ploy to cheat the firm.
The gang had culled documents of unknown people from the internet and used them to open bank accounts, buy SIM cards and make payments by netbanking. It furnished wrong addresses.
When the delivery boy arrived, they would collect the products midway. After receiving the package, they would fill it with stones and soil, a senior police officer said.
The next day, they would call the Flipkart customer care and complain about receiving “nothing but stones and loose soil” in the package. They threatened to sue the firm if they were not refunded. The firm believed them without carrying out an investigation and refunded the money to their bank accounts, the officer added.
By this modus operandi, the gang ordered more than 2,000 goods. Police believe it was an elaborate gang and are checking their phone numbers and bank account details.
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