T’puram: What began as a seemingly routine vehicle rental arranged through a social media contact ended in an alleged fraud after a Vizhinjam resident handed over his car to a stranger who has since gone missing along with the vehicle.Michael, 29, of Karimpallikkara in Kottappuram, lodged a complaint with Vizhinjam police alleging that a man identifying himself as Joel, claiming to be a native of Pathanamthitta, contacted him by phone after obtaining his number through social media.According to the complaint, the caller requested a car on rent for a day and asked to meet him in person. The two met near Vizhinjam around 10.30pm on July 6. Joel allegedly assured Michael that he would return the vehicle the next day and transferred Rs 3,500 through GPay as an advance. He reportedly told Michael that the amount could be adjusted when the vehicle was returned.To gain Michael’s confidence, the suspect allegedly handed over copies of his Aadhaar card and driving licence before taking the car. The following day, he transferred another Rs 3,000 to Michael’s bank account, reinforcing the impression that the arrangement was genuine. The vehicle, however, was never returned.Michael said repeated phone calls to the suspect went unanswered. He later travelled to the address mentioned in the identity documents in Pathanamthitta but could not trace the man. “The house was locked and neighbours could not provide any useful information,” he told police.The complainant said he later received a FASTag notification showing that the car had crossed a toll plaza near Kappalur in Tamil Nadu. Realising that he may have been cheated, he approached Vizhinjam police.Police registered a case and launched an investigation. Officers are verifying the authenticity of the Aadhaar card and driving licence submitted by the suspect and examining bank transaction details, toll records and other digital evidence to trace the vehicle.A police officer said team noticed certain inconsistencies in the complaint and is probing all possible angles before drawing conclusions. Efforts are on to locate both the suspect and the missing vehicle.
