Businessman lured by conman posing as army officer

A city-based businessman was cheated by a conman on the pretext of selling his SUV, and made away with Rs 11,000 on Wednesday.

The fraud came to light when the 24-year-old victim Suhas Tejaskanda checked the photocopies of the vehicle documents, which were sent to him via WhatsApp.

Tejaskanda in his complaint stated that he wished to buy an SUV and used to browse online for a suitable vehicle. He chanced upon an SUV for sale and contacted Himmath Singh, who had put out a post, saying he had a vehicle for sale.

Singh, who claimed to be an army officer, said he had been posted in Jaipur and wanted to sell his SUV as he needed cash urgently for his father’s treatment. He sent Tejaskanda details of the vehicle on WhatsApp. As a token of confirmation of the sale deed, Tejaskanda made an online transfer of Rs 11,000 to Singh.

Later, Singh asked Tejaskanda to contact a man identified as Deepak Kapoor for the vehicle delivery. Kapoor told Tejaskanda that the vehicle had been sent to his address and demanded Rs 30,000.

But Tejaskanda said he would pay up only after he test drives the vehicle. He soon realised that the mobile phones of both Singh and Kapoor were unreachable. Tejaskanda grew suspicious and cross-checked the vehicle details that had been sent on WhatsApp and realised he had been duped.

He filed a complaint the Parappana Agrahara police, who have taken up a case of cheating and impersonation and under various sections of the IT Act.

The police are trying to trace the accused based on their mobile numbers and bank account details.