A retired policeman in Bengaluru fell victim to a fraudster who posed as an agent of a reputed finance firm associated with a car showroom, allegedly losing Rs 6.3 lakh in the process. The incident has raised concerns about the presence of impostors within showroom premises.
Victim's ordeal
KN Nandeshwarachar, 63, a resident of Vyalikaval, approached Ravindu Motors Pvt Ltd in Rajajinagar on April 27 to purchase a Toyota Innova on loan. While at the showroom, he reportedly encountered a man named Murthy near the loans section. Murthy provided details of the loan procedure and advised him to contact finance agents linked to the showroom for quicker processing, giving him the mobile number of an agent named Arun.
Following this suggestion, Nandeshwarachar contacted Arun, who promised to arrange a vehicle loan through the finance firm. After gaining the retired policeman's trust, Arun allegedly instructed him to transfer Rs 6.3 lakh via RTGS to a bank account belonging to "AARVIN IT EDGE PRIVATE LIMITED" in Patancheru, Telangana, to book the vehicle. Nandeshwarachar complied and transferred the amount.
Discovery of fraud
When Nandeshwarachar visited the showroom again on May 15 to check the status of vehicle delivery, showroom staff informed him that no Innova was booked in his name and no loan had been sanctioned by the finance firm. Attempts to contact Arun on his mobile number failed as the number was switched off.
Expressing his shock, Nandeshwarachar said, "When I visited the showroom on May 15, I didn't find Murthy. The showroom staff said no such person works there. But I saw Murthy wearing an ID card and attending to me inside the showroom on April 27. How would I know he is a fraudster?"
Police investigation
Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and BNS Section 318 (cheating) against Arun. Investigations revealed that the money transferred by Nandeshwarachar was moved to an account in Kerala and then to Punjab by the fraudsters. A senior police officer stated that efforts are underway to freeze the accounts involved.
